Never Say Goodbye
by brady66
Summary: The Alexandria Safe Zone seemed safe enough, but he just didn't fit in...until one of the few people he actually thought was decent showed up at the front gate bringing the biggest shock of his life with him.
1. Chapter 1

_******I wanted to try writing a new BETHYL fic...this one will be taking place in the safe zone. I will still be continuing my other two fics but this one was just dying to break free. Ever since I saw Aaron and Eric bonding (even just a little) with Daryl last week, I started thinking about this. I am hoping that Beth and Morgan show up in the finale, saving Daryl from whatever danger he is in...but I like this idea too...Hope you all like it too. ******_

"So how far do you think he is out?" she asked her companion as they sat around the small fire she had started.

"He is moving toward us, so be prepared. It is just him, so we can take him if it comes to it." He replied to her with a slight head nod. She smiled softly back at him and nodded her reply.

"He has been following us for a while, wonder what he wants" she mumbled as she started to reach for the knife she used to have on her belt, then remembered that it was gone, lost a month ago. She then grabbed the gun her companion had given her, unlatching the safety.

"Well we are about to find out, ready?" he asked. She nodded again her reply.

He stood and looked toward the one section of woods "We know your there, you can come on out" he called, his voice rough and commanding. After a second, they saw him appear. She had to stifle a laugh a little as she saw him. He looked like he stepped out of an LL Bean add instead of the walker infested woods.

"Why are you following us?" her companion commanded, as he raised his gun toward the stranger. She stood beside him, her gun pointed at him as well.

"Hi…..Hello, My name is Aaron. I don't mean either of you any harm" he said, his hands raised, palms up toward them. She raised her eyebrow at him as she looked at him. He seemed nice enough but she learned a long time ago that looks can be deceiving.

"I asked you a question" her companion stated firmly, gun still raised. She heard Aaron let out a sigh as he started.

"I'm from a community about 20 miles north. We have walls, security. We think you two would fit in perfectly there. I'm sorry for having to watch you all, but we have learned the hard way that you can't just assume people are good, so we watch." He said as he put his hands down and moved to take off his backpack, causing her to raise her gun higher at him.

"I'm not grabbing anything, here you can look yourself. In the pocket, there are pictures of our safe zone" he said softly, smiling at her sweetly. She looked to her companion, him nodding at her an ok. So she leaned down and opened up the zippered pocket. She pulled out a group of pictures and scanned them slowly. One picture had just walls, the next few showed deserted streets. As she got to the last one, she paused for a split second. Then her eyes flashed up to him, flames shooting out of them as she lunged for him. He stepped back stunned, but was not fast enough. She put her gun to his head and held the picture up to him.

"Where did you get this?" she asked, gun at his temple. Aaron shook beneath her hold, for such a small girl, she was strong. And the fire in her eyes scared him.

"What do you mean? I took it. It's from….from my front porch" he stammered out as the gun pushed into his head more. Her companion just watched, not making a move to stop her.

"Not the view Asshole! Him…..how do you have a picture of him" she growled, low and demanding. Aaron looked back at where she was pointing, making out the side of a shoulder and part of an angel winged leather vest. He had not even noticed till now that he had gotten him in the picture. Then he looked up at her and studied her closely. Something about those eyes stuck with him.

"How do you know Daryl?" she growled again, not removing her hold of him.

"Him and his group joined us about a week or so ago." He started, then looked at them both as she let go of him and turned to her companion, a look of shock and happiness washing over both of them.

"How do you know Daryl? What are your names? " Aaron asked curiously as she lowered her gun and turned back to him.

"I'm Morgan, Morgan Jones. And this is Beth, Beth Greene" Morgan said as he nodded toward Beth, a small smile on his face. A look of shock took over Aaron's face as the realization of what he just said took over him.

He looked at the girl in front of him as he whispered "the Beth Greene?"


	2. Chapter 2

_"I lost my sister a few weeks ago. She was shot. It's been...hard" Maggie said sadly as she looked at Deanna and then away from the camera as she wiped a tear away. _

_"I am very sorry for your loss" Deanna said, sadness in her voice. "What was your sister's name?" she continued._

_"Beth...her name was Beth. She was loved by our entire group. It was a shock to all of us but especially me and Daryl" Maggie said softly, turning her head away again._

_/ _

"What do you mean _The Beth Greene_? Beth asked as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well um, your group said you were dead. When they were interviewed, a few of them mentioned you. Your sister Maggie, Carl and Sasha" Aaron told her, seeing the tears welling up in her eyes as she listened. Her sister was alive...her family was alive and safe. She couldn't have asked for happier news. She didn't want to admit that it hurt just a little that Daryl didn't mention her but she could just imagine how he acted being interviewed in a new place. He wouldn't have said much of anything, probably paced back and forth and mumbled alot. She looked at Morgan, who had a huge smile on his face too.

"Rick...is Rick ok?" Morgan asked, Aaron turning his attention to him.

"Yeah, he is fine. He never mentioned that he had more people out here" Aaron said, looking at him.

"Well he didn't know I was tracking him. I ran into Beth along the way and we have been following ever since. But Rick and I go way back" Morgan said with a smile.

"Well that's not exactly how it happened. You forgot the part about how you saved my life" Beth said as she touched the top of her head, a bandage covering the wound that was healing.

"You saved yourself girl. Your a fighter. I just helped you a little bit. You were determined to get back to him...I mean to them" Morgan added, a slight grin tracing his lips. Beth sighed as she rolled her eyes at him and then turned back to Aaron.

"Who all came in with my group?" she asked, her voice shaking in excitement and fear.

"Let me see...Rick...his son Carl and his daughter Judith" Beth gasped at the mention of Judith as the tears welled up in her eyes. "Your sister Maggie and her husband Glenn. Michonne, Carol, Sasha, Noah and Daryl" Beth smiled brightly hearing that Noah was still with them and it got even brighter just at the mention of Daryl. Aaron noticed the smile as well when he said Daryl's name but kept going. "Tara, Abraham, Rosita and Eugene" he finished. Beth didn't recognize the last four names, but that didn't matter...her family was alive.

Aaron looked from Beth to Morgan and back again, a smile on his face "So if you two want to come with me, we will go to them. My car is about a mile that way" he pointed ahead of him, toward the woods. Beth smiled brightly at him, then at Morgan who nodded his approval.

"Ok, let's go. But just in case this is a lie and you try something..." she started, her voice going low and threatening "I will not hesitate to kill you"

Aaron nodded his head and as she turned from him he smiled, thinking how she just sounded like Daryl and Rick.


	3. Chapter 3

"_So Daryl, can I ask you a question" Aaron asked as he handed the gruff man a wrench as they worked on the bike in front of them. Daryl grunted a little and nodded his head. _

"_Um, the girl that you all lost before you got here…..Beth" Aaron started, noticing right away the change in Daryl's eyes as he darted them up to look at him. Where they had been neutral before, focused on the bike, they were now glaring at him. _

"_What about 'er?" he asked gruffly as he turned his back to pick up something from the work bench behind him. _

"_In some of the interviews, a few of your friends mentioned her. They said you were taking her death really hard." He continued, trying to keep his eyes on the angel wings that were now facing him. _

"_So" Daryl grunted just above a whisper. _

"_So…..are you doing ok now? " he asked tentatively, then instantly regretted it as Daryl slammed the wrench down on the table and spun around to face him. _

"_I'm not here to talk about my feelins….I'm here to work" he growled and then turned back around, his shoulders heaving up and down in anger. _

"_Ok, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked" Aaron said as he moved to start working on the painting of the gas tank. _

"_She was special" he heard Daryl whisper out as he started working on the wiring. Aaron frowned at the angel wings in front of him. He could just tell by talking to him that Daryl and his group had lost far more than anybody else that he had ever come across…..this Beth girl being the deepest one for Daryl._

_ %_

Beth watched as the trees passed by the window of the car Aaron was driving . Morgan sat in the front seat, the gun in his hand still pointed at Aaron, but not really threatening. She sat in the back and laid her head against the cold windshield. It felt good against the wound, stopping the ache a little.

"Sunshine, you alright back there?" Morgan asked as he turned to look at her.

"Yeah, my head just hurts a little. But I'm more excited than anything. I can't believe we are going to see our family soon" she said as she grasped his hand and smiled. Morgan smiled slightly back and squeezed her hand in return.

"I hope Rick is happy to see me" Morgan said as he turned back around to face the front of the car.

"Why wouldn't he be happy to see you?" Aaron asked, a questioning look on his face.

"Last time I saw him, I was not myself. Turned things around and decided to come and find him. That's when I came across Sunshine back there" he said as he motioned toward Beth. Aaron nodded as he looked at her thru the rearview mirror. He had to admit, the nickname 'Sunshine' was dead on about her. Even with the bandage on her head and the scars on her face, she glowed.

"Beth, I just have to ask. How? How did you survive? The way the group told it, you were shot in the head" Aaron asked after a few moments of just watching her. He saw Beth place her fingers gently on the bandage as she took a breath.

"I woke up in a car. The doors were locked and there was a blanket over me. I don't remember much about that either except the walkers around the car and them Morgan being there. I was in and out for a while" she said softly but with a smile toward Morgan. "He saved my life" she finished as she gripped his arm.

"Well you have made up for it by saving mine too. Only thing I could see when I found her is that they must have thought she was dead but somebody took great care of making sure she was clean and stitched up. I think that is what saved her life" Morgan continued as Aaron nodded.

"Well I'm glad your hear with us Beth…..both of you" he said as he looked toward Morgan and then made a turn on the road they were on. "I'm sure your family is going to be floored to see you both…..welcome to Alexandria" he said as he pulled the car to a stop in front of a huge, steal fence.

Beth let out a gasp as she took in the view in front of her. Behind those walls was her family, behind those walls was Daryl. She looked over at Aaron to see him pull out a walkie talkie.

"Hey Nicholas, get Rick and bring him to the gate ASAP" Aaron stated over the walkie talkie.

"Why, is everything ok?" the other man asked back.

"Yes, just get him now" Aaron demanded. Beth heard the other guy reply back with "roger" and then watched as Aaron opened the door and look back at them both.

"Come on, we won't bite. I figured you would rather it just be Rick at first, and then you all could work out seeing the entire family." He stated as he shut his door. Beth looked up at Morgan, who had turned to face her.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Hell Yes" she replied, not able to contain the smile that spread across her face.


	4. Chapter 4

_*****Thank you so much for all of the reviews and the follows. It means so much to me. I am still going to be updating my other two fics but I at least wanted to get the reunion out that you all have wanted. Hope you like it*****_

Beth took a breath and stepped out of the open car door, Morgan smiling as he shut it behind her. They both walked over to where Aaron was waiting for them. A pit began to form in her stomach as the gate started pulling back. 'What if this is a trap? What if they are not happy to see me? What if Maggie doesn't care and Daryl has forgotten her? She had seen one of the signs that Maggie had left for Glenn to go to Terminus when she and Morgan had to double back at one point and also knew that she was not in the hallway that faithful day at the hospital. So what made her think Maggie wanted to see her now? She wanted to curse the pit forming and the thoughts that wanted to betray her happiness. Her sister was alive….her family was alive….Daryl was alive….that's all that mattered right now. As the gate moved forward slowly she felt Morgan pull her behind him.

"Just in case", he mumbled when she threw him a questioning look. She forced a smile as her nerves started to take over. 'God how long is this gate going to take' she thought to herself as she clutched Morgan's arm and shuffled her feet nervously.

"Beth?"

She jumped at the voice behind her and turned to see Carl standing there. He had gotten taller and his hair was shaggier but it was him. He had this stunned look on his face as the girl standing beside him just watched. She nodded toward him as a smile spread across both of their faces and before she knew it, he had flown toward her and wrapped his arms around her. Luckily she was already behind Morgan or she would have fallen over, his back breaking her fall.

"How? How are you alive? " Carl said thru tears as he pulled back to look at her. Beth smiled and began to speak when she heard another voice she knew well.

"Carl, what's wrong? Why are you….." Rick began and then caught sight of them. The look on his face was full of shock, confusion, love and a hint of anger. She felt Carl let go of her as she turned to look at Rick.

"Beth?" he sputtered out as tears started falling from his eyes. Beth's tears continued as she nodded and walked toward him and he pulled her to him. She felt his chin rest on the top of her head as he held her tight.

"Is it really you? How? " Rick asked as he pulled her away from him, his arms still holding onto her tightly. She smiled up at him. She had been prepared for answering the 'how's' even though she really didn't have the answer.

"It's really me Rick" she said with a small smile. "As for the how, I'm not really sure. I woke up in a car that was surrounded by walkers and then Morgan saved me" she said as she turned her head toward her friend. Rick turned and then let out another gasp as he saw Morgan.

"You? You saved her?" Rick said softly as he let go of one of Beth's arms, still keeping his other one wrapped around her as he turned to face Morgan.

"Yeah, good to see you Rick" Morgan said with a relieved smile.

"It's good to see you too friend…..both of you" Rick said as he pulled Beth toward him again in a hug. Carl walked up beside her and hugged her too. She really was amazed by how tall he had gotten.

"Carl, go get Daryl and Maggie. I think Daryl is at Aaron's house working on the bike and Maggie was at our house last time I saw her." Rick asked as he squeezed Beth's side.

"I'll get Daryl, you get Maggie" Aaron said as he walked by them, patting Beth on the shoulder as he did. She broke apart from Rick for a second and walked to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Thank you so much for bringing us here" she whispered as she hugged him.

"I can see why they all missed you so much" Aaron said as he patted her back, causing Beth to giggle a little. As he let her go and Rick pulled her back to him, they both watched Aaron and Carl run off toward their houses. As they disappeared Rick turned back to both of them. The gate slammed closed behind her, causing Beth to jump a little and spin around at the noise, her hand going to her gun.

"It's ok Beth. It's safe here" Rick said, noticing the fear that flooded her eyes. Beth took a deep breath and nodded at him, trying to relax.

"It takes a little while, but you kinda get used to it" he said as he looked around and then back at her. She could see that he was trying not to let her know he didn't feel secure either. "How? I still cannot believe it" he asked as he took her hand and moved her over to a set of picnic tables that was in the square beside the gate. She sat down beside him on top of the table, Morgan standing in front of them. Beth looked at Morgan and raised an eyebrow, hoping he would take over the explanation.

"I found the car with the walkers surrounding it. I thought maybe it would have some gas in it, so I started killing them. When I was halfway done, I saw something inside the car move, and then sit upright. She started banging on the windows, asking for help. So I killed the rest of them and let her out." Morgan said as he took Beth's hand.

"We had to leave you in the car. We got surrounded by walkers. We almost didn't get out of there. Tyreese and Abraham had to pull Daryl away from the car because he refused to leave you and Glenn had to literally carry Maggie. We shoulda done better by you Beth, leaving you in a car like that. Not realizing you were alive" he said sadly as he pulled her back to him. Her breathing had hitched when she heard about how Daryl and Maggie both had to be pulled away. She looked up at him and tried her best to smile, even with all of the new information running through her head.

"I'm thankful that you didn't get to do a proper burial on me. If you had, I wouldn't have survived. From what Morgan thinks, whoever cleaned my wound and stitched me up saved my life." She said as her free hand moved to her bandage.

"Daryl did that. He carried you out of the hospital and never put you down till we had to leave you in the car. When we stopped to rest, he held you in his lap while he cleaned you and stitched you up." Rick said with a small smile as he gently caressed her cheek. She started to smile but jumped when she heard another man's voice…one she didn't recognize come up to them.

"Rick, they are going to have to give up their weapons and go speak to Deanna" the guy said as he stood in front of them. Beth instantly didn't like him, he came off as a douchebag.

"Nicholas, they will do that when I decide they have too…ok?" Rick said as he narrowed his eyes at the douchebag, really not giving him an option. Beth was about to giggle at said douchebag's eyes going wide when she heard a voice she would know anywhere and her world stopped.

"Rick? Is everything ok? Aaron said you needed to see…" Daryl stopped, his eyes locking onto hers. She slowly moved off of the table, Rick letting her go, never taking her eyes off of him. She was amazed that her legs were working because they felt like jello. His usually stoic face was a mixture of emotions, not one she could pinpoint completely. He stood frozen in his spot. She felt like she couldn't breath as she watched him and she slowly started to move toward him.

"Daryl, it's really me" she whispered as she took a hesitant step toward him. Her voice, it was the voice he heard every time he tried to sleep. He heard that voice in his thoughts, in his dreams and in his nightmares. It was her voice now that brought him out of his frozen state. He felt himself drop his crossbow to the ground and then his feet flew at her. He was not able to control his movements or emotions as he reached her and pulled her against him. As he wrapped his arms around her, they both released a breath that neither of them knew they were holding. She felt wetness hitting the top of her head and realized he was crying as he held her. She had never felt anything more right than the feel of his arms around her.

"You were dead….you were dead…..how?" he mumbled over and over as she felt his hands run up and down her back. He was going to make sure she was real and not just another one of his dreams.

"It's a long story, can I tell you later? Just know that you and Morgan saved me" she said as she lifted her head and nodded toward Morgan, who was talking to Rick. "Right now I just want to rest. I finally found you!" she added as she laid her head back on his chest, his arms going around her again in a tight embrace. She could hear him saying something under his breath over and over but could not make it out totally. It sounded something like "never leavin you again".

"Rick, they really need to hand in their weapons and speak to Deanna" Douchebag Nicholas stated, this time a little more forcefully than before. Beth jumped a little at his tone and she felt Daryl's arms tense up around her as he pulled her behind him and stood tall in front of Nicholas.

"Step off Asshole, unless you want to end up on the ground like the last time?" Daryl growled at him as he lifted his head slightly to stare him down. The tone so deep that Beth could feel it vibrate against her chest, instantly making her feel safe. Beth couldn't help the smile on her face at the look of fear that spread across Nicholas' when he caught Daryl's glare. He turned quickly and walked off somewhere, more like ran actually. After he did, Daryl pulled Beth back to him, taking her hands in his. He looked over her face for a moment, his eyes lingering on the scars she had on her cheek, forehead and temple. He slowly moved his thumb to the scar on her cheek and rubbed it gently. She smiled up at him and began to say something when she head another voice scream from across the grass.

"BETH!"


	5. Chapter 5

Beth froze at the voice. It was the other voice she would know anywhere, but for some reason this voice didn't fill her with complete happiness as Daryl's did. Daryl could feel her tense in his arms and pulled her back a little to look at her.

"Don't leave me" she whispered to him as her gaze met his.

"Not goin' anywhere" he mumbled back. She gave him a soft smile and then turned as Maggie yelled for her again. As she did, Maggie wrapped her in her arms, almost knocking her over from the force. Beth hugged her sister with one hand and extended her other hand back to Daryl. He saw her reaching out for him and grasped her delicate hand in his.

"How Beth? How is this possible? I saw your…..I mean, the bullet" Maggie started gasping as she pulled apart from Beth and looked at her, tears overflowing from her eyes.

"I really don't know why the bullet didn't kill me, but I'm alive because of Daryl and Morgan" she said as she glanced at Daryl with a small smile, squeezing his hand and then nodded toward Morgan, who was still talking to Rick.

"You keep saying yer alive cuz of me? How? I didn't know you was breathin? I left you" Daryl said, his voice starting to crack a little and his gaze moved to the ground. Beth let go of Maggie for a second and took her other hand to his chin, lifting it up to look at her.

"You cleaned my wound and stitched me up. Rick already told me that so don't deny it. Morgan said that is what saved my life, kept it from getting infected. You saved me Daryl" Beth said sweetly as she gently moved her thumb on his jaw bone.

"I still left ya. God Beth, I'm so sorry I left ya in that car" he mumbled as he tried to move away from her warm smile and gentle touch. He didn't deserve it, he had just left her there all alone. Beth was about to reassure him when another female voice rang out, this one she didn't recognize.

"Rick, can you please explain what is going on here?" Deanna said as she walked up to Rick, eyeing Morgan as she did. Then her gaze fell on Beth, who had Daryl's hands in hers and Maggie's arm around her shoulder. Her face seemed to soften a little looking at her before she turned back to Rick. She saw the look on Rick's face and he was not really looking to justify anything right now.

"These are some of our people that Aaron found while he was out. Morgan here has been a friend of mine since the start and Beth, she…." Rick stated and then was broken off by Deanna.

"Beth? Your sister Beth?" Deanna asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Maggie and started moving toward them. Beth moved a little behind Daryl, his arm instintively going around her waist.

"Yes, this is my sister Beth" Maggie said thru the tears that was still falling.

"I thought you said she was dead" Deanna said as she looked at Beth. As her eyes fell on the her scars, Beth started to feel self conscious and moved a hand up to the one on her cheek.

"They all thought I was, but I'm not" Beth replied for Maggie, taking her sister's hand in hers while she stood partly behind Daryl.

"This is fantastic news. If you two don't mind, I really need to talk to both of you separately for a few moments" Deanna then said, looking from Beth to Morgan, who had walked up beside them with Rick.

"Can this wait till tomorrow? I'm sure they are both exhausted" Rick asked as he moved in between Beth and Deanna. Beth leaned her head against Daryl's chest, trying to stop the dizziness that was starting to overtake her. He looked down at her as he felt her gently sway.

"Are you ok?" he asked as he rubbed her arm, the rest of the group turning to look at her.

"I'm just a little dizzy that's all. Probably from all the excitement of the day. I'll be fine" she tried to reassure all the worried eyes.

"She hasn't eaten since breakfast yesterday, so that probably has something to do with it" Morgan stated, remembering the night before when she refused to eat the squirrel that she had caught and gave him her meat, saying he needed it keep his strength up too since he had been giving her all of his food since the day he found her. She swayed one more time and Daryl had seen enough, before she could protest he had picked her up bridal style in his arms.

"She's goin' back to our house, gunna get somethin' to eat and get cleaned up. You can talk to her in the mornin'" Daryl growled at Deanna as he turned, nodded at Rick who nodded back and started walking toward the house, Maggie following closely behind.

"You can take me now, her tomorrow" Morgan said as he looked from Deanna to Rick and back again. Deanna sighed and nodded her head. She knew she would not win this fight with the way that Rick, Daryl and Maggie had all looked at Beth.

"Well this way Morgan" Deannna said as she put a smile on her face, raising an eyebrow when Rick followed them.

"You coulda been a little nicer" Beth whispered into his chest as he carried her. She heard him grumble "No I couldn't" and she giggled as she laid her head back on his chest. With his strong arms around her and Maggie's hand gently clutching hers, she had not felt this safe in a long time.


	6. Chapter 6

Beth took in her surroundings as Daryl carried her back to the house that she assumed that he stayed at, along with the rest of her family. She breathed in the scent of him, cigarettes, leather and something that was just Daryl. She really thought she would never get to smell that again, or feel his arms around her. She could feel his heart beating, the thumping along with his arms making her feel safe. None of them spoke for the entire walk, still in shock from the events of the morning.

"'ere we are" Daryl said finally as he gently stood her on her feet, leaving his arm around her to make sure she was steady. She looked up at him and smiled as she felt Maggie grab her hand.

"That house there is the one that I live in, with Glenn, Tara, Abraham, Eugene, Rosita &amp; Sasha." Maggie said with a smile, then noticed her sisters questioning gaze. "We met Tara, Abe, Eugene and Rosita after the prison. You will like them" she said as she squeezed Beth's hand. Beth could feel Daryl tense just a little at the mention of the new people but she didn't say anything as she watched Maggie pointing toward the house beside the one that they were standing in front of.

"And you?" she asked as she turned her gaze up to Daryl.

"Live 'ere with Rick, Carl, Ass Kicker, Michonne &amp; Carol. We still got a couple rooms empty" he mumbled out, but looked directly at her at the end comment. She felt her cheeks blush just a little as she nodded at him and then turned toward the houses again. It just all seemed like a dream to her. These houses, this safe zone and finding her family. Finding the people that thought she was dead. She had wished for this, all those nights on the hard forest floor beside the fire as Morgan kept watch. She felt a tear slide down her cheek as she reached out and grabbed Daryl's hand, her other one still clutching Maggie's. She felt Daryl lace his fingers thru hers and squeeze her hand tight.

"You ok?" he asked as she stood there, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She nodded her head and smiled.

"Are you sure this is not a dream?" she asked as she looked up at him. He turned his gaze back to her and the look in his eyes took her breath away. She saw pain, fear, sadness and happiness all in a windstorm of emotion pouring out of his blue eyes.

"Not sure of anythin', Not lettin' you outta my sight though in case it is." he mumbled as he squeezed her hand again. She smiled as he and Maggie led her toward the house in front of them.

%%%%%%%%%%

Beth had been grateful that nobody was at home when they got there. It wasn't that she didn't want to see the rest of the group, her family. She just wanted a few more minutes to take in everything. All of it had happened so fast, that she needed a little bit to process. Maggie ushered her into the kitchen, motioning for her to sit on one of the stools as she went to the fridge to find her some food. Beth looked at the white kitchen, the shiny white stool and then down at her clothes. She was covered in mud, dirt and blood. She felt bad even standing in the kitchen being as dirty as she was, she was sure she had left a trail of dirt walking across the floor.

"It's ok, just sit. We can clean it later" Daryl mumbled into her ear, causing a shiver to run through her spine. She smiled though, loving that he could read her thoughts, feeling glad that they had not lost that.

"Here Daryl, make her a sandwich. I'm going to run next door and get you some clothes you can change into for now. I'm sure something Rosita has might fit you" she said as she handed Daryl some left over meat on a plate and started toward the door. She stopped halfway though and came back over, wrapping her arms around Beth.

"I still can't believe your real" Maggie breathed as she hugged her tight. Beth moved her hand up and placed it on top of Maggie's arm, smiling as she caught Daryl's eye. The look in his eyes had her believing that he didn't think she was real either.

"Me either Maggie" she breathed as she leaned into her sisters embrace. She was still hurt by the messages that her sister had just left for Glenn and the fact that she was not in the hallway that day, but right at this moment she was just glad her sister was there. She would find out the details later and then decide if she would be ok with it or not.

"Don't let her disappear" Maggie said to Daryl as she let go of Beth and started toward the door.

"Don't worry, I won't" Daryl replied in a tone that caused another shiver to go down her spine as their eyes locked again. He broke eye contact after a moment and mumbled something about what she wanted on her sandwich.

"They actually have mustard?" she exclaimed above a whisper as he pulled it out of the fridge. He nodded and added some to her sandwich and handed it to her. She didn't know what surprised her more, the food supply they had or finding her family. She also wasn't sure if the sandwich was just the best sandwich she had ever eaten or if it was because Daryl made it for her, but she finished it in a flash. She noticed Daryl searching cabinets when she finished her sandwich and looked up at him.

"What are you looking for?" she asked as she wiped her mouth on a napkin, grimacing when she saw the dirt come with it.

"Cups. I don't normally come in here, so I have no idea where anythin' is" he grumbled as he flung open cabinets, till he found the right one and let out a sigh.

"Why don't you come in here?" she asked curiously. If he lived her, why didn't he come into the kitchen? Why didn't he know where anything was?

"Don't like being in here too much. Spend a lot of time on the porch" he said as he poured her a glass of iced tea and handed it to her. She took the glass and looked at it in almost amusement at the fact that they had ice cubes. She then looked back at him as his words took effect in her head and heart to see him gazing at her.

"How Beth? How are you sitting here?" he asked, walking up beside her. He looked like he might want to touch her, but then talked himself out of it.

"I don't remember much about what happened that day. I remember walking toward you and Rick. I remember Rick hugging me and you pulling me toward you. When I saw you, I had never been more happy to see anybody in my life" she said as she looked at him. She could see the memories of that day running thru his head. "You saved me in there" she added. He looked over at her and let out a huff.

"Yeah I saved you. I let you get taken from the church. Then I let you walk up to Dawn and stab her, causing you to get shot. Then I left you in a car, by yourself with a gunshot wound. I should have stayed with you Beth. I'm so sorry" he said, his voice breaking and a lone tear betraying him and sliding down his cheek. She stood up to face him, taking her finger and wiping the tear away. She noticed when she touched his cheek that he didn't flinch or tense up, that he actually leaned into her a little.

"Daryl, look at me" she asked, causing him to lift his eyes up off of the floor and look at her. "None of this is your fault, do you understand me!" she said soft but sternly as she moved her thumb on his cheek. "I heard you yelling for me when they had me in the trunk of the car. I don't remember anything else but hearing your voice. I also don't remember stabbing Dawn, but I doubt you could have stopped me from doing that, that bitch was evil" she said as a shiver ran up her arm, causing Daryl to reach out and gently stroke her arm with his fingers. "And the gunshot wound, how could you have known? My breathing had to have been really shallow for you to have not noticed. And if you had not cleaned the wound and stitched it up, I would not be here right now. So yes, you saved me." She said as she took his free hand into hers and squeezed. "It was your voice in my head when the people at the hospital told me I was weak. It was your voice I would hear in my head when I was healing and the pain became too much and it's your voice I hear now when I need to be strong. And anyway, from what I hear you had no choice but to leave me in that car. Tyreese and this Abraham person had to drag you away" she said with a small smile creeping across her face. He gruffed at her and took her other hand in his. They both had so much more they wanted to say to each other, but didn't have the chance as Maggie came in carrying clothes and ushering Beth up the stairs to the shower. As Maggie pulled her by Daryl, Beth whispered to him "Don't leave"

"Never" he replied as his fingertips grazed her hand.


	7. Chapter 7

Beth entered the bathroom and let out a little gasp as she sat down her new clothes. This bathroom looked nothing that anything she had ever seen before. She still didn't think all of this was real, that Daryl and Maggie were right outside the shut door behind her. Just this morning she was out in the woods, with Morgan. She shut her eyes as she turned slowly in front of the mirror, mentally trying to prepare herself for what she was going to see. She had not seen the two scars original scars that Dawn gave her since the hospital and she had not seen the last one at all. Morgan was always the one that would clean it and bandage it back up. As she slowly opened her eyes, she gasped at the sight of herself. She knew she was dirty, but this was an understatement. She had dried stuff all over her, not knowing anymore if it was mud, dirt, or blood.

As she slowly raised her hand to the scar on her cheek and the one on her forehead, she winced remembering when Morgan took them out for her. He tried to be so careful, but they had nothing for the pain and they had both been tender. She had held it together though, only letting one stray tear betray her. She gently took her fingers toward the tape holding the small piece of gauze that was covering her one of her newest wounds and sucked in a breath before she pulled it away. She let the breath out when she saw that it seemed to be healing fine, as did the exit wound, even though she could barely make it out herself. She would have to see if Daryl or Maggie would clean it for her after her shower. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she gripped the front of the sink as she let her appearance sink into her. Did she look like a monster now? Would people look at her differently because of them, or would they be scared of her? As she looked at herself and all of these thoughts came to her, other thoughts did as well. What if her family was scared of her now? What if Judith didn't want to be near her because of the scars? What if Daryl didn't want to look at her because of the scars? She tried to shake those thoughts off. She knew, just by the little time since she entered the gates and she saw him that he didn't look at her any less, in fact he was looking at her more. There was something in his eyes, that same something she started to see that night in the funeral home but now more intense. Butterflies started flying in her stomach at the thought of those eyes and how he looked at her. She tried shaking those thoughts away, tried shaking the hope that Daryl cared more about her than just a member of the family out of her head as she sighed and started taking off her disgusting clothes. She threw them in a muddy pile in the middle of the floor and entered the shower. The feel of the water alone made Beth squeal but then the hot water came on and she swore she had never felt anything more amazing, except for maybe being in Daryl's arms. She smiled as she thought about those arms and started cleaning all of the mud and dirt and blood off of her body, also cleansing her soul just a little.

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"How is she?" Daryl asked as he walked up the stairs and found Maggie sitting on the floor in front of the bathroom door. Maggie looked up at him and smiled, tears streaming down her face.

"Is this real Daryl? Is she really here? I just can't….I mean I can't believe…" Maggie started as the tears came flowing more down her face. Daryl moved to the wall across from her and slid down to be sitting as well. As he caught her eye, he shook his head.

"I don't know" he replied with a shrug "She's tough" he added as he smirked a little at Maggie and looked toward the bathroom door.

"Yeah, yeah she is" Maggie said with a smile then turned as they both heard the front door open.

"I'll go, you stay with 'er. But tell 'er where I am" Daryl said as he stood. Maggie nodded as she watched him walk off, knowing that whatever this was between her sister and the quiet redneck was something she was ok with. She also knew that she would spend her last days trying to repay Daryl Dixon for everything he did for her sister.

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Beth opened the bathroom door feeling 10 pounds lighter and so damn clean, to find Maggie sitting on the floor in front of the door. She had to admit she was a little let down that Daryl was not out there with her, but she tried to shrug it off.

"He just walked downstairs" Maggie said as she saw the expression on her sister's face. 'Guess I didn't hide it as well as I thought I did' Beth thought to herself.

"Oh ok. Do you think you could help me with my bandage?" Beth asked softly to her sister, holding out some gauze and tape she found. Maggie jumped up immediately and took it from her hand, walking back into the bathroom with her.

"These clothes fit really good, who's did you say they were again?" Beth asked as her sister started to place some antibiotic cream on the two wounds, causing her to wince just a little bit.

"Sorry!" Maggie exclaimed, Beth shaking her head that it was ok. "They are Rosita's. I thought you two would be around the same size" Maggie said as Beth looked down at the clothes. Maggie had gotten her a pair of short camo shorts and a brown tank top.

"She isn't going to mind?" Beth asked as she looked back up at her sister, catching the glint in her sisters green eyes.

"Not at all. When I told her what had happened and that they were for you, she was very willing. I think you will like the new people. Rosita is really strong and beautiful. Her boyfriend Abraham is a good guy, just a little gruff at times and Eugene is strange but sweet. There is also Tara, who is really friendly, we have gotten really close with them." Maggie said as she taped the small pieces of gauze to Beth's head and then moved her hair to cover up the exit wound.

"You look beautiful Bethy" Maggie said as she pulled her toward her and held her close. Beth gently patted her sisters back and then pulled away quickly, still not used to being touched so much.

"Come on, everybody is down stairs and cannot wait to see or meet you" Maggie exclaimed excitedly. Beth could feel the swirling emotions in her stomach. Yes she wanted to see her family, she had missed them all so much but also she didn't know how she was going to do in a room full of people. Just the thought was making her uneasy, but she put on a smile for Maggie and followed her out of the bathroom.

As she walked down the stairs and caught site of Daryl leaning up against the wall toward the porch, her fear started to leave. When he raised his head to look at her, the fear went away completely. His eyes scanned her up and down, taking in all of her. He wasn't sure if he should cuss Rosita or hug her for letting Beth wear those shorts of hers. Damn, her legs looked like they went on forever.

"Oh my god, I didn't want to believe it" Carol exclaimed, pulling him out of his thoughts and causing a blush to come across Beth's cheeks as she realized that they both had been staring. Carol came toward her as she hit the last step and pulled her close, holding her tight. "Are you ok?" Carol asked as she threw a knowing glance at Daryl.

"I'm fine, really. How are you doing? Did you heal completely?" Beth asked as she pulled away a little and looked at the older woman. Carol smiled a little and placed her hand on her cheek.

"I'm fine Sweetheart, thanks to you. I know you saved me in there" she said softly, causing Beth to shake her head.

"You saved yourself, I was just there" Beth said slowly, knowing that Carol didn't buy any of it. She felt hands on her shoulder and turned to see Glenn who embraced her strongly.

"Missed you too Brother – In –Law" she said with a giggle when he wouldn't let go of her. Next she hugged Sasha and softly told her how sorry she was about Ty and Bob. She felt Sasha gasp a little and cling to her a little harder before she let her go and turned away from the group. She then heard a clearing of the throat and turned to see Noah. She smiled brightly as she flung her arms around him and held onto him.

"I'm so sorry Beth, I am so sorry" he said over and over as they hugged each other. She looked up while she was hugging him, making eye contact with Daryl. When she did, she saw something that she didn't recognize cross his eyes before he turned away from her. She raised an eyebrow a little and then pulled away from Noah.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. None of that was your fault. I'm glad that you found them" she said as she rubbed his arm and then turned to Michonne, who pulled her into a tight embrace. As Beth held her, she noticed something was missing.

"Where is your sword?" she asked as she pulled away. Michonne tilted her head toward the mantle and sitting above it was her sword. Beth was about to say something about it when she heard a gurgle and a giggle that she would know anywhere. She turned to see the most beautiful bundle sitting in Rick's arms. She walked slowly over to her, worried that she might be scared of her scars or not remember her, but when Judith looked up at her, she automatically reached out for her. As she tried squirming out of Rick's arms to get to Beth, she grabbed her gingerly and held her in her arms. As the little girl wrapped her arms around Beth's neck and nuzzled close, the tears started flowing down Beth's face. She looked around at everybody, all the people she loved and the new people she had not been introduced to yet and she felt home. But she realized that somebody was missing.

"Where is Morgan?" she asked Rick as she choked back a sob.

"He is taking a shower in the downstairs bathroom. He should be out soon" Rick said with a smile as he took Judith back from Beth so she could meet the rest of the people.

"This is Rosita and Abraham" Maggie said as she led Beth over to a very tall redhead and a little tiny latin girl. She turned and cocked an eyebrow at Daryl, finally realizing how they were able to carry Daryl away from the car.

"It's nice to meet you Beth" Rosita said as she shook her hand. Beth smiled back at her and then smiled at Abraham as he extended his hand.

"Abraham Ford. It's a pleasure Miss Greene" he said kindly as he shook her hand.

"This is Eugene" Maggie said as she turned her toward a nerdy looking guy with a mullet. When he looked at her, she could see the blush form on his cheeks and then he looked down at the floor.

"It's nice to meet you Beth. And can I just say that all the flowers in the world pale in comparison to your beauty." He said as he shook her hand. She heard Daryl let out a low growl from behind her and she sweetly smiled at Eugene and pulled her hand away, not missing the elbow that Rosita passed him as she nodded toward Daryl. Eugene locked eyes with the hunter and then turned a shade of white that Beth didn't recognize. She turned to look at Daryl and felt a heat rise in her at his appearance. He had taken a stance, his fists clenched and his eyes boring holes into Eugene. His eyes locked on hers after a moment and she smiled. When she did, she could see the tension immediately leave him and he turned to walk outside.

"And this is Tara" Maggie said as she walked up beside Tara and slipped her arm around her waist. Beth watched the interaction for a moment, observing that both her sister and Tara were really close.

"It's great to meet you Beth. Maggie has told me so much about you. It's like you're my sister too" Tara said as she held out her fist. Beth looked at her for a moment and raised an eyebrow at Maggie but then fist bumped Tara. "Cool" Tara exclaimed as she pulled Beth in for a hug, causing Beth to tense up. Tara could feel it under her and let her go automatically.

"I'm so sorry Beth. Sometimes, I have boundary issues" Tara said, a look of sadness on her face.

"It's ok, I'm just gunna get some air really fast" Beth said, shooing her sisters hands away as she turned toward the door she saw Daryl walk out of. She needed just a little bit of air, it was getting to cramped inside. When she walked out, she took a few deep breaths and leaned up against the railing, looking out into the street.

"Ya al'right?" she heard his gruff voice ask her, causing her to jump just a little as she turned to find him sitting against the railing.

"Yeah, it just got a little too much, ya know?" she said as she sat down beside him and slowly leaned her head on his shoulder. When she didn't feel him tense up under her, she was able to relax herself.

"Daryl?" she asked after a few moments of them just sitting in silence.

"Mmm" he replied as he turned to look at her.

"Why was Maggie not in the hallway that day?" she asked softly

"You should ask her that" he mumbled. He did not want to be the one that told her that her sister didn't believe she was alive and had left, even after he had told her she was.

"I'm asking you. I trust you more than anybody in that room. Please tell me" she asked softly as she took his hand into hers. He sighed as he intertwined their fingers and started moving his thumb over her hand. Why did she have to say she trusted him more than anybody else. If he was being honest with himself, he would say the same thing about her. She knew more things about him than anybody ever did, even Merle.

"She had left with Abraham, Rosita, Tara, Eugene and Glenn to go to DC. Back then Eugene was telling everybody that he had the cure to all of this. But the damn mullet lied. But when I came back with Noah to come and save you and Carol, she was gone." Daryl said quietly as he continued to gently rub Beth's hand.

"Did you tell her I was alive?" she asked softly, already knowing the answer to the question but needing to voice it.

"Mmm. Told her you were taken but you were alive. But in her defense, she didn't know I had found you when she left" Daryl added, trying to ease the pain a little.

"Oh" she said softly as she wrapped her other hand around Daryl's arm and snuggled into him more. She was trying to see the bigger picture, but she was fuming right now at Maggie. She didn't want to go off right now though because she had just gotten back, so she clung to Daryl to try to give her strength, calm her nerves. It was helping until she heard her sister speak up from the door.

"Get your stuff so you can come home with us Bethy"


	8. Chapter 8

Daryl felt Beth tense instantly at Maggie telling her she was taking her to her house. There was no way as long as he was breathing that Beth would be staying someplace he wasn't ever again. Even if she was right next door, he couldn't rest or sleep knowing she was alive but not knowing if she was ok. He was about to tell Maggie that she was staying with him, and of course Rick and Michonne and Carl and Asskicker and Carol but didn't get the chance as Beth spoke up instead, her hand still clutching his.

"Maggie, I'm staying here" she stated firmly as she looked up at her sister standing in the doorway. Maggie's eyes went wide as she looked at her.

"But Beth, we have a room and you should be with your family" she said, her voice getting a little higher as she spoke.

"I am with my family" Beth said as she looked at Daryl and smiled at him. The look in her eyes caught his breath for a moment as the corners of his mouth formed a half smile at her.

"I'm your family Beth. I'm your sister! Don't you want to stay with me?" Maggie asked, her voice breaking as she tried to fight back the tears.

"Maggie, you're my sister and I love you. But with the exception of you, Glenn and Sasha I don't know anybody else in that house. I would not feel safe or comfortable. I am staying here with the people I know and love. Daryl has already said they have two free rooms and I am sure Morgan is going to want to stay here too. I'm not leaving him, and I'm not leaving Daryl, not again. Last time I left him, I was kidnapped, so I'm staying as close as he will let me" she felt Daryl squeeze her hand and she continued "I'm sorry Maggie but that is just how it is" Beth stated, trying to sound as firm as she could but her voice shaking just a little.

Maggie looked at her sister, then down at her hand intertwined with Daryl's and then back up to her. She was no longer the little girl that needed her protection on the farm or at the prison. She had changed. She was stronger than she had ever given her credit for. She had survived when everybody thought she was dead.

"Ok Bethy, I understand. I don't like it but I understand" Maggie said softly as she nodded to her sister. Beth sighed, let go of Daryl's hand and slowly stood up. The exhaustion had already started to set into her limbs the little time she was leaning on Daryl.

"Thank you Maggie" Beth said as she moved to hug Maggie. She was still angry, still hurt by Maggie's refusal to believe she was alive but she didn't want to confront her tonight. She was exhausted and just wanted to curl up and sleep.

"I love you Bethy, so much" Maggie said, tears slowly streaming down her face.

"I love you too Mags" Beth replied back and then yawned. Maggie pulled away a little bit, looked her sister in the eye and then over her shoulder to where Daryl was starting to stand up off of the porch.

"Daryl, you get her to sleep ok….and not out here like you have been sleeping either. You make sure she sleeps in a bed" Maggie ordered as she took in her sisters exhausted appearance.

"Mmmhmm" Daryl grumbled as he came up beside Beth and placed his hand on her lower back. A shock went thru her back at the touch of his hand, causing her to shiver a little. She said a quiet goodnight to Maggie and kissed her on the cheek.

"I still don't believe it" Maggie whispered as she grabbed Beth and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tight and kissing her cheek. Beth giggled a little and let out a little "me either" as she eyed Daryl, who was waiting to take her to her room. Maggie let her go and she waved and called good night too all of the people still in the living room as Daryl led her up the stairs to the room farthest down the hall.

"Why do you sleep on the porch?" Beth asked as they got to the top of the stairs.

"Didn't feel right sleepin' in 'ere" he replied as he opened the door and turned the light on. She looked around for a moment, noticing a few flannel shirts laying on the dresser and the missing sleeves sitting in the trash bin beside it.

"Is this your room?" she asked quietly as she ran her hand over one of his shirts. She turned to see him sitting his crossbow against the wall.

"Mmmhmm" he replied as he started chewing on his thumb and looking around nervously.

"Did Maggie bring you anythin' to sleep in?" he asked as he looked back at her. She shook her head as she ran her hand over a spare knife he had sitting on the dresser.

"I lost my knife. I guess it was at Grady at some point but I don't know what happened to it after" she said as she gently stroked the handle of the blade. She heard him moving a little and turned when she felt something poke into her side. She turned to see Daryl holding her knife. She took it gingerly from him, seeing the pink spread across his cheeks a little.

"You've been wearin' my knife?" she asked softly as she looked up at him. When his eyes met hers, she felt that same spark that she felt looking over at him across the table all that time ago in the funeral home.

"Carol gave it to me. She thought it would help, having something of yers" he mumbled out as his hair fell into his eyes. Her breath caught as her heart heard his words. She didn't want to think about how Daryl had handled her 'death' He had already been through so much in his life, she never wanted to bring him sadness. She slowly leaned up and before she could think about it, moved the hair from his eyes and kissed his cheek softly. As she pulled back, she noticed the tips of his ears going red and his eyes taking on a darker blue tint as he watched her.

"Thank you Daryl" she breathed out, surprising herself at the tone of her voice. After a moment of just watching each other, Daryl pulled away and grabbed her a shirt off of his stand, handing it over to her.

"Here you can wear this tonight. We will go in the morning to the commissary and see if we can get you some clothes" he said as she took the shirt from him with a smile. He moved to open the door to give her some privacy but stopped when her arm came out to grab his.

"Don't leave me, just turn around till I am changed" she whispered. He nodded and turned to face the door. He could feel his ears getting red when he heard her clothes hit the floor, and when he heard her bare feet bad across the floor to sit them in the chair. She pulled the shirt up to her nose for a moment, breathing in the smell of it. Even after being washed it still smelled like him, pine and cigarettes and leather and all him.

"Ok ready" she whispered out. He turned to her and his breathing hitched. He thought before that he had never seen anything more beautiful than Beth Greene as he came around that corner and saw her sitting on the bench with Rick, but he was wrong. This moment right now, with her standing in front of him, wearing nothing but one of his flannel shirts, her hair falling down her back in waves after taking it out of the ponytail was by far the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He had ever been good with words, but right now he could not think of anything to say. Finally he got his brain thinking again.

"Ok, let me take you to bed" instantly feeling his cheeks flush "I didn't mean, I mean let me help you…I mean…Fuck" he grumbled out as Beth giggled behind him. The giggle that he thought he would never hear again calmed him down enough for him to turn to her. She placed her hand on his and squeezed it as she walked by and crawled into his bed, burying herself under his covers. 'Man, he didn't sleep in here but even his sheets smelled like him' she thought as she looked up at him from under the fluffy blanket.

"Come on Daryl" she said softly as she held out her hand to him. She swallowed a huge lump as she waited for him to move, do something.

"I'll sleep downstairs" he said as he started to move away from her and toward the door.

"On the porch?" Beth asked as she sat up and looked at him.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. It's kinda nice actually" he said with a half-smile. All he wanted was to crawl into bed with her, wrap his arms around her and never let her go. But he didn't have that right. She went thru so much, in that hospital and after. From just what Noah had told him, he didn't feel right just climbing into bed with her without her wanting him too. She had been violated enough.

"Daryl, don't leave me" she said, her voice going higher and coming out almost as a shriek just as he placed his hand on the door knob. "Please stay in here with me. Please sleep beside me"

He felt a breath leave him that he didn't realize he was holding. He had been forcing himself to walk out of the room even though everything in him had told him to stay. He turned and walked over to the other side of the bed, tugged off his boots, then removed his jacket and vest and laid them on the chair, as well as his flannel shirt, leaving him in a white t-shirt. She could make out his muscles and lean form and marveled at how magnificent he looked as he crawled into bed and shut off the light beside him on the night stand.

"Thank you Daryl" she whispered as she grabbed his hand. He intertwined his fingers in hers and started moving his thumb over the top of her hand.

"S nothin'" he mumbled as he turned to his side. She pulled his hand over her waist and cocooned herself into his side, pushing her back into his chest. She felt his arm tighten around her and his breath in her hair as she started to succumb to sleep.

"Never leave me" she breathed out as her eyelids shut. She felt him squeeze her tighter and he mumbled into her hair "Never again"

_****Ok, So I'm sure some of you wanted the Maggie showdown to happen in this chapter, but don't worry it will happen soon. Beth still needs to process everything and she is going to get an eyeful of Maggie's relationship with Tara and hear more about that and then it will happen. Hope you loved them getting closer. Tomorrow will be Beth's interview with Deanna….and don't worry, Daryl will be close by….very close by****_


	9. Chapter 9

Beth woke the next morning feeling like she was being engulfed by warmth. As her eyes slowly opened she saw her hand still intertwined with Daryl's, his arm still wrapped around her waist. But now it was tighter than it was the night before and he also had her pressed up against his chest and his face resting beside her neck. She could feel his slow breaths on her shoulder and it caused her to shiver just a little. She smiled, thinking about how this time yesterday she was waking up on the hard forest floor, Morgan sitting on a log on watch. And now, she was waking up beside the man she was not sure she would ever see again. She had hoped, yes, but there was a little nagging part of her that kept telling her it would never happen. She smirked at that nagging voice being proven wrong as she breathed in his scent and felt his warmth. She also felt something else pressing up against her backside, but she tried not to focus on that because she knew that it was a normal thing for guys in the morning, it had nothing to do with her. It did cause her cheeks to flush just a little bit though at the feel of it, even as her brain tried to make her believe it was just normal. She wanted to lie there a little longer, just drink in the safeness she felt just being in the presence of Daryl Dixon but dammit her bladder had other ideas.

She slowly, carefully tried to remove herself from his grasp, but all of a sudden his arm tightened and he mumbled something in his sleep as he pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair. She had to giggle a little as she realized he was still asleep and slowly went back to trying to edge her way out of his grasp. 'Damn bladder' she thought to herself as she finally got out of the bed and suddenly missed his warmth and closeness. She turned to look at him and he looked so peaceful, a tiny smile on his lips. She sighed when he didn't wake up and made her way to her clothes that she had put on the chair. Rosita had been nice enough to give her another pair of shorts and another tank top, so she took those and tiptoed out of the room and across the hall to the bathroom.

Once she was dressed and fixed her hair as best as she could, she quietly exited the bathroom and started toward the stairs, only stopping when she heard voices below.

"It has to be some kind of miracle that Aaron stumbled upon them like he did" she heard Carol's voice say from downstairs.

"It's a miracle she is even here. We both saw her; we all thought she was dead. Hershel must have been looking out for her that day" Rick's voice stated, the hint of remembrance apparent.

"I have not seen Daryl smile like that in a long time. You know he slept inside last night, in his room with her. He was broken when she was shot. I didn't even see him grieve like that for Merle." Carol said as Beth heard her move something across the table, sounded like a cup and she gasped softly at her words. Daryl was that upset about her being dead? She fought the urge to go back into their room and bury herself into his side for the rest of their lives but instead stood where she was and just listened. She knew it wasn't polite to eavesdrop but she needed to know all of this and she knew nobody would actually tell her.

"Yeah, when he carried her out of the hospital I just couldn't watch anymore. He was so broken, his heart was broken. I had told him I knew he had lost something back there but you know him, he would never talk about it" Rick said sadly

"Do you think he even realized what he felt about her? Do you think he realizes it now?" Carol asks, making Beth's heart rate increase and butterflies to start forming in her stomach. Rick and Carol, two of the most observant people in their group thought that Daryl Dixon….the sexiest, bravest, most giving man she had ever met, in her humble opinion, actually had feelings for her.

"Probably knows it's something but doesn't understand what it is. You know him. But if something more happens, I'm ok with it. She changed him while they were together. We both noticed it" Rick said, causing Beth to smile. If they only knew that he was the one that actually changed her.

"Me too. Beth is really good for him, and I think he is good for her too" Carol replied and Beth smiled brighter, loving the fact that both of them would support whatever, if anything actually happened between herself and Daryl. She knew she had wanted more from him for a while now, but she would never push him. She kept the smile on her face as she started to walk down the stairs, making her footfalls louder than she normally would so they would know she was awake.

"Hi Beth, how are you feeling this morning?" Rick asked as he stood up and gave her a quick hug and kiss on the forehead as she walked into the room.

"I'm feeling a lot better. The wonders of a hot shower and feeling safe can do" she said with a sweet smile at Rick and then at Carol.

"Here, come sit down Beth and have something to eat. I have to get over to help with the breakfast for the elderly people. Ya know, gotta keep up appearances" she said as she stood and straightened out her polo shirt and flower sweater. Beth raised an eyebrow at her and Carol smiled brightly at her as she kissed her head.

"I'm sure Daryl will fill you in. I'm so glad that you are back. Our little miracle" she whispered as she hugged her and then took off out the door. She watched Carol's back until the door shut and then she turned to Rick, who was just watching her with a smile on his face.

"Where is everybody?" she asked as she picked up a piece of bacon off of the plate.

"Carl took Judith to the daycare. Michonne is off working, Morgan went for a walk and Noah is getting ready to go on a run with Glenn, Tara, Eugene and two of the people from here Aiden and Nicholas" Rick said as he leaned back in the chair a little. "Is Daryl still asleep?" he continued. Beth nodded and he raised his eyebrow. "I don't think I remember the last time he slept past sunrise, but he hasn't gotten much sleep in the past few weeks" he mumbled as he looked down at the table. Beth's heart ached again for the pain that she put Daryl through, that she put her entire family through. Before she had a chance to say anything though, they heard a loud bang come from upstairs and as they turned they saw Daryl barreling down the stairs, screaming her name.

"BETH" he screamed as he ran into the dining room, stopping in his tracks when he saw Beth and Rick and their shocked expressions.

"Daryl, is something wrong?" she asked worriedly as she stood and made her way over to him. She watched as his ears turned red and his cheeks flushed.

"No, nothin's wrong" he growled as he stomped off toward the kitchen. She turned and looked at Rick and he just shook his head and stood up.

"I'm gunna go do a perimeter check. Deanna wanted me to tell you that she would like to see you this morning when you have a few minutes. It's nothing big, we all did it." Rick said as he came over and kissed her again on the forehead. "Good luck in there" he whispered with a chuckle as he walked toward the door. She waited till she heard the door shut behind him and then walked into the kitchen. She found Daryl leaning up against the counter, trying to calm his breathing. She walked slowly over to him, but she knew he already knew she was there.

"Are you ok?" she asked softly as she gently placed her hand on his arm. He shook his head and slowly turned to look at her, the fear and sadness in his eyes causing her to gasp and her heart to stop for a second.

"When I woke up and you weren't there, I thought maybe it was all….ya know a dream. I freaked out" he mumbled as he turned his body away from her, not wanting her to see his sadness. Yes, she had overheard Rick and Carol talking about how much he had missed her, but she didn't understand the depths of it till just then. That fear, that loss written all over his face. She gently wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his back, right on top of the angel wings she loved so much, just like she did that day at the moonshine shack. She felt him let out a big sigh when she did and she smiled just a little.

"I'm so sorry Daryl. I had to pee and then I came down here so I wouldn't wake you. You looked so peaceful. I'm not a dream and I'm not going anywhere. I'm gunna stay right by your side until you get so tired of me you are going to let me go and pawn me off on any random person that walks by" she said with a slight giggle, even though just the thought of random people terrified her. She felt his hand softly lay on top of where hers were on his chest and she sank into the embrace a little more, a tear falling down her cheek when she heard him whisper.

"Never get tired of you girl! Never letting you go"


	10. Chapter 10

_**I was a little worried about this one because I just couldn't get it to flow like I wanted too...but I hope you like it anway!**_

* * *

"So who is this Deanna woman and why do I need to interview with her?" Beth asked as Daryl opened the door for her and she walked out onto the front porch, smiling at his gesture.

"She runs this place. Seems nice enough, but I'm still not sure" he mumbled as they started walking down the sidewalk slowly, their arms bumping into each other as they walked.

"And that guy at the gate yesterday? What is his name again?" she asked as she looked around at the rows of houses. She watched a little girl play on the lawn of one of the houses with a small dog. A part of her wanted to smile at it but another part of her wanted to grab all of these people and make them see that nothing is safe anymore.

"That's Nicholas. He aint real happy to have us 'ere" he answered gruffly. Beth did not miss the disgust in his voice.

"He seemed like a real dick" she replied, causing Daryl to spin his head toward her and raise his eyebrow at her words.

"Did Beth Greene just cuss?" he asked with a smirk.

"Guess I did, cuz that's what he is. I could tell when I first met him" she replied with a chuckle, loving the smirk on his face.

"Think I might be a bad influence on you Greene…but yeah, him and his friend Aiden are asses. Just stay away from both of them if you can" he said they passed by another house with a lady in the garage making some crazy looking thing out of what Beth thought was metal.

"You know I can take care of myself right?" she said as she stopped and looked at him, her eyebrow raised at him.

"Course I do Beth" he said as he took her hand in his "Just giving you a heads up on who to watch out for" he added as he gently ran his thumb over her knuckles. She looked down at their intertwined hands and smiled. She remembered another time, when they were in that cemetary and she grabbed his hand for the first time. So much had changed since then, but somethings had stayed the same. She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of somebody calling their names. She looked up to see Maggie running toward them.

"I'm so glad I found you two" she panted as she caught up to them. Her hair was windblown and her eyes bright from running.

"What's up Maggie? Is somethin' wrong?" Daryl asked, his voice tinged with worry as he dropped Beth's hand like it was on fire. Beth tried to not take it personally, knowing he was not the best at public displays.

"No, nothings wrong. Just needed to find Beth for Deanna. She really wanted to get the interview over with so Beth can settle in and I wanted to find you before Glenn and Tara left cuz I need to say goodbye to them" she replied as her breathing went back to normal and she turned her attention to Beth.

"That's were Daryl and I are headed now" Beth replied with a smile to the archer standing beside her.

"Oh I can take you. I'm sure Daryl has things he needs to get done. I know you gotta work on the bike more" Maggie replied with a smile.

"Naw, that's ok. I want Daryl to take me" Beth replied instantly, her smile almost faded completely from her face. She really didn't want to leave Daryl's side till she got more comfortable in her surroundings.

"You sure Bethy? I kinda thought we could catch up some after the interview since Glenn and Tara will be gone" Maggie asked. Beth raised an eyebrow at the fact that it seemed like she only wanted to catch up since her husband and her friend were not going to be around. She pushed down the thought and turned a smile to her sister. Daryl could tell instantly that the smile was forced, it didn't light up her face and it didn't make her eyes sparkle. He wondered if Maggie noticed too, but if she did she didn't say anything.

"I'm sure we can find some time to catch up Maggie." She exclaimed, her tone light but the sparkle in her eyes still gone. " Where are Glenn and Noah at? I would like to say goodbye to them too before they leave" she added.

"Come with me, I will show you" Maggie beamed as she started walking ahead of them.

"So you got a new bike huh?" Beth whispered as she nudged Daryl's arm with her own.

"Yeah, Aaron had collected parts from all over and said if I could build it, I could have it" he mumbled back to her.

"I'm so happy for you Daryl. I know how much leaving Merle's bike upset you" she said as she grabbed his hand and squeezed. He squeezed her hand back to say thanks.

"I've never been on a bike before. I used to watch you leaving and coming in on yours and always wonder what it would be like. Actually started to ask you for a ride a few times but Daddy would've killed me" she added with a chuckle, the twinkle back in her eyes.

"I'll take ya for a ride if ya want" he said, his ears instantly going red at the double meaning of his words. But Beth just beamed up at him like he had just given her the moon.

"Really?" she exclaimed as she bounced up and down excitedly. She was going to hug him but as they rounded the corner, they saw the group they were looking for loading a van. She recognized Glenn and Noah and Tara, and the douchbag from the gate yesterday, but not the other guy.

"Hey Honey! Hi Daryl, Beth. It's great to see you out Beth. How are you feeling?" Glenn asked as he came over and gave her a quick hug. Beth smiled, she really did love her brother in law. He was a sweet guy and adored Maggie and that was all she could ask for her sister.

"I'm feeling great, thanks Glenn" Beth said sweetly as she smiled at him.

"Where is Eugene?" Maggie asked with a raised eyebrow as she looked at the group.

"We decided that this run will be for other supplies. We are going to go in a few days for the solar stuff. That will be the run he has to go on" Aiden said as hecame up beside of them, a charming grin on his face as his eyes ran over Beth's body. "Hi, I'm Aiden, you must be Beth. I have heard so many things about you already. But your even more beautiful in person" he said as he took her hand and brought it to his mouth. Before he got the chance to actually kiss her hand, she jerked it away and she heard a growl from beside her that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Don't touch what aint yers boy!" Daryl growled as he moved between Aiden and Beth.

"Hey man, just introducing myself to the lady! No need to get all possessive" Aiden said as he put his hands in the air and wisely moved back from Daryl a few paces.

"He didn't mean anything by it Beth, he's just an ass" Noah said with a glare to Aiden as he came up beside of her and touched her arm. She smiled shakily back at him, both of them knowing why she would not be fond of people eyeballing or touching her. She gently placed her hand on Daryl's arm, his shoulders instantly going less tense as he turned to look at her.

"Why don't we go onto Deanna's?" she said softly, running her fingers just barely on his forearm. He just nodded at her and placed his hand on the small of her back to start guiding her toward Deanna's house.

"You and Glenn be safe ok" Beth whispered to Noah as she started to walk away.

"We will. You be safe too" he replied back with a smile.

"Great meeting you Beth. We will have to get together and talk really soon" Aiden called out when they were halfway down the street. She heard Daryl let out a low, animalistic growl that sent another shiver down her body. She grabbed his hand to keep him from going back and leaned up toward his ear.

"He is just a dick too" Beth whispered to him. She watched as a small smirk formed on his lips again at her cussing and he turned back around to keep walking with her. She heard Glenn in the background asking him if he wanted to end up on his ass again with a broken nose, because that was what would happen if he looked at his sister in law again like that.

"And that would be mild compared to what Daryl or I would do to you" Maggie added, causing a smile to form on Beth's face as they continued walking, Daryl not letting go of her hand this time.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Sorry for the delay in getting this out! Life had gotten away from me for a little bit. Hope you all like this and lives up to the wait…..now onto the "interview"**_

* * *

Beth took a deep breath and knocked on the door in front of her. She glanced to her side to make sure Daryl was still there. He gave her a small smirk and squeezed her hand quickly, instantly calming her nerves as she waited. It only took a few moments for her to hear footsteps and then the door opened in front of her, revealing the same woman she had met for a few moments the day before.

"Welcome Beth, I'm so glad to see you" Deanna stated with a warm smile. A smile that changed just a little to add a hint of surprise when she saw Daryl standing beside her "And Mr. Dixon, this is a surprise" she added.

"I asked him to come with me" Beth said as she looked back at him, her smile warm and grateful.

"That's totally understandable, everything is still new for you. Please, come on in! Daryl, you can wait in my other room if you would like while I interview Beth" Deanna said as she motioned them in. Daryl walked slowly behind Beth, his hand gently placed on her lower back.

"I want Daryl to stay with me" Beth stated firmly as she stopped in the hallway. She wanted to feel strong, she had spent the last few months without him but she didn't want to be without him right now. She just got him back and she needed his presence to keep her sane.

"Well normally we don't do that" Deanna started, but stopped when Daryl came and stood in between both ladies.

"If Beth wants me in there, I'ma be in there. Or, she is going back to the house with me and this interview will not happen" Daryl growled out as Beth placed her hand on his arm.

"Ok, ok. I understand" Deanna stated slowly with her hands up in surrender. "Please, come this way. Daryl, all I ask is that you let Beth tell me her story and you don't speak unless you have too" Deanna asked as they moved into the huge room. Daryl nodded in reply as he moved over to stand against the wall and watched Beth. She took in all of the books on Deanna's shelves, a few catching her eye and causing her to gasp a little.

"I have collected some of those through the years. You are more than welcome to borrow any of them whenever you would like" Deanna said sweetly as she sat down across from the chair Daryl remembered from his interview.

"Thank you, that is very kind" Beth said as she turned her attention back to the older woman and sat down in the big chair.

"Ok, this is going to be recorded, is that ok with you Beth?" Deanna asked

"Yes, that's fine." Beth replied as she gazed over at Daryl and gave him a soft smile. He smirked at her just a little and it made her feel at ease again. He was there, he was safe, she was safe.

"Ok, let's get started. How old are you Beth?" Deanna asked.

"Do you know what month it is?" Beth asked in reply.

"It's the end of May" she replied

"Then I am almost 19. My birthday is in June" Beth replied. Daryl looked up at her, making a mental note to make sure they do something for her birthday. Now that they were in a safer place, they could do this, especially for her. _Your such a pussy baby brother!_ he heard his brother say in his head.

"What did you do when all of this started?" she asked

"I was in high school. I worked our farm with my Mom, Dad, Maggie and our brother Shawn. " she stated, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"And how did you meet Rick's group?" Deanna continued. A smile broke across Beth's face as she remembered the day that Daryl and the rest of the group road up to the farm. Yes, it was a sad time because of Carl, but looking back it was the luckiest day of her life. She gave a sweet smile to Daryl as she started to speak.

"Rick's son Carl had been shot by my Dad's best friend Otis while he was out hunting. Rick came to our farm and my Daddy fixed him up. That was when the rest of Rick's group came and stayed on our land." Beth replied wistfully, the memory still filling her mind

"You all seem very close" Deanna replied with a smile

"We are, we are family and love each other" Beth replied with a nod of her head as she smiled brightly at Daryl. He could feel the tips of his ears and the back of his neck turning red but he held her gaze.

"I'm not really sure how to ask this Beth except for just ask, why did the group think you were dead?" Deanna asked hesitantly. Beth froze in her seat as Daryl could feel the anger start building inside at just the mention of what happened.

"I don't remember everything. But after I was taken from Daryl" she started as she looked back over at him again, the pain evident in both of their eyes "I woke up in a hospital. It was ran by a bunch of police officers and they would kidnap people and then force them to work for them to earn their freedom, but you never did" she stopped and took a breath as she started twisting her hands in her lap.

"Beth, you don't need to explain what happened" Daryl growled from against the wall, his eyes focused right on her. She smiled softly at him and shook her head.

"I'm fine Daryl, really. When Daryl, Rick and others from my group came to rescue me and Carol, I remember standing in the hallway beside Daryl, but after that I don't really remember what happened after. I know I got shot, but if you want the details, you will need to ask Daryl" Beth said as she looked from Deanna to Daryl.

"It's ok. It really doesn't matter. I was just curious since it is a...well it's a miracle that you are alive. At least from what some of the rest of your family has told me" Deanna said with another smile. "Can I ask you something else...the scars? How did you get them?" she added. Beth reached her hand up softly and traced her finger along the one on her cheek. She heard Daryl growl as she did and sighed. She knew he probably hated to even look at them. They probably reminded him of her being taken and just added to the guilt he felt.

"I woke up in the hospital with this one" she said as she ran her finger on the one on her cheek. "This one was from the woman who ran the place. She hit me after I helped Noah escape" she said with a small smile and then she pointed to the last one, the one that was still bandaged up "And this one, once it's healed will be from the gunshot wound" she finished, her voice catching on her last words.

"Ok, thank you so much for being so open Beth. One last question. What did you contribute to the group?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"When she was at the prison she was Judith's main caregiver. The only Momma that little girl ever knew. She also took care of all of the kids at the prison, she was amazing with them all. She also helped her Daddy with all the medical stuff and was great at that too. She is amazing with a gun, a great tracker and is getting really good with a cross bow too" Daryl stated firmly and with pride causing Beth to look up at him and beam a huge smile in his direction, causing him to look down at the ground as his ears turned red.

"Why do you ask?" Beth asked as she reluctantly pulled her attention from the gorgeous man in front of her back to Deanna.

"We all have jobs here, so when you are fully healed you will be given a job. Even Daryl has one." She said as she turned her attention over to Daryl and Beth raised an eyebrow at him. He had not told her yet about having any kind of job. She was broken from her thoughts by Deanna continuing "I am trying to figure out what you would be good at. I'm not sure if putting you with the kids would be a great idea though."

"Why is that?" Daryl growled as he moved from leaning on the wall.

"Well um, her scars. I think they might scare the kids and cause them to ask questions that their parents might not want them knowing the answers too" she continued as she looked at Daryl. Beth froze as her words sunk in. She didn't want her looking after kids because of her scars. She thought she was a monster that couldn't be around kids. Would other people think that too? Would her family think that? Would Rick keep her away from Judith? Would Daryl look at her differently? She really didn't want to look after kids anymore, that was not her anymore. She wanted to contribute more, but it still hurt to hear Deanna say those words.

"Bullshit! This prissy ass community should know what is out there! And all of those kids would be better off with Beth watching out for them than whoever uptight bitch you got in there right now. That girl right there is better than all of you and every single person in this community should be thankful she is even here. Now, we are leavin' " Daryl growled out, his eyes menacing, just daring Deanna to challenge him. He walked over to Beth, who had not moved and kneeled down in front of her.

"Beth, Darlin'. We're leavin'" he growled as he gripped her hand. She slowly rose from the chair and let Daryl lead her toward the door, still lost in her thoughts.

"I'm sorry Beth, I didn't mean to upset you. Please take all the time you need to heal and we will discuss the job situation after" Deanna said, trying to sound as sweet as she could but you could still hear the guilt in her voice from her previous words. Beth didn't answer, she just nodded at her and let Daryl lead her out of the house.

...

Daryl watched her out of the corner of his eye as they walked back toward the house. He was lost as to how to help her, talking was never his strong suit. He knew he had to do something though. Ever since Deanna brought up her scars she had shut down. He looked back at her one more time as an idea came to him.

"Come 'ere" he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. She didn't speak, just let him lead her down the quiet street. He pulled her along until he got to their destination and then stopped, letting go of her hand. He heard her gasp just a little as she took in their surroundings.

"I come 'ere when I feel like it's getting too closed in, in here and I can't go hunting. I found this one day right after we got 'ere and I just couldn't deal with all of these uppity people. It's peaceful here" he said as he sat down on the grass. Beth sighed as she looked around again. The pond in front of her was beautiful, surrounded by beautiful magnolia trees that still had blooms all over them. She slowly lowered herself down beside of him and kept looking out at the water.

"Do you think I look like a monster, Daryl?" she asked softly after sitting there for a little while, her head staying straight ahead.

"Hell no Beth!" Daryl stated firmly. He didn't even have to think when he replied, this was a given. As was what he stated as he continued "Don't you listen to anything that she said. You are beautiful"

"I'm not Daryl. You heard her. She thinks I would scare little kids. And what scares little kids, Daryl? Monsters" she said sadly as she continued to look out at the water. He looked at her for a moment and then grabbed her face, turning it to face him. He gasped just a little as her huge, doe eyes locked onto his. How could this beautiful, amazing creature ever think she wasn't anything but perfect. But all of a sudden his tongue felt too big for his throat and his mouth felt dry. He cleared his throat as he forced the words he knew he had to speak out. It was easier just a minute ago when she was not looking at him.

"You are not a monster Beth. Your beautiful" he said softly, his voice hoarse as he trailed his thumb over the scar on her cheek. "Perfect" he whispered out as he continued to stroke her cheek. A shy smile started to spread across her face as her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. She sighed and leaned into his hand a little.

"Now I don't want you to listen to anything that dumb bitch has to say. She has no idea what an extreme badass Beth Greene is" he continued as he dropped his hands from her face and placed them back on the ground behind his back.

"I will try" she said with a chuckle as she looked up at his profile as he looked out at the water. Her heart swelled from all of the amazing things he had said about her, inside Deanna's office and right now by the water.

"There is no try, only do" he stated firmly, causing Beth to chuckle again.

"Did you just quote Star Wars?" Beth asked incredulously.

"What if I did?" he asked with a smirk. Beth shook her head and laughed again, loving that he could make her smile no matter the situation.

"You are full of surprises Mr. Dixon" she said with a smile as she leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt him tense for just a second and then relax under her.

"And don't you forget it Greene" he stated as he gently wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his hand on her hip. They sat there for hours just watching the water and the trees.


	12. Chapter 12

_**I thought I would do another flash back in the beginning of this. Let me know if you like those or not. **_

* * *

"_So Beth. Did she know how you felt about her?" Aaron asked Daryl one day while he was working on the motor of the bike. Aaron saw Daryl instantly freeze and he started to regret asking him anything about the dead Greene sister. _

"_Naw, she didn't know" Daryl mumbled as he kept working on the motor, his head down toward the ground. _

"_What did you like best about her?" he asked, curious as to what the girl that captured Daryl Dixon's heart was like. _

"_I liked e'thing about 'er. She sang like an angel. Took care of Asskicker like she was her own. She was stubborn and headstrong but also had faith. Faith that there was still good people out there" he said just above a whisper. Aaron watched him as he continued to work, never looking up. He could just tell how much his friend loved this girl and his heart ached for him. He couldn't even think about losing Eric, just how scared he was when he had hurt his ankle was enough for him. _

"_She's the reason you didn't get an arrow through yer eyes when you showed up" Daryl whispered, a smirk playing on his lips as he finally moved his eyes up to look at his friend. _

"_Is that right?" Aaron asked, a smile starting to form on his lips as well. _

"_Yeah, she said there was still good people out there, and I believed 'er" he said as the smirk disappeared and he looked back down at the motor. _

"_I'm grateful she did. Wish I could thank her" Aaron replied heartfully. _

"_I wish you could too" Daryl whispered, but still loud enough for him to hear. _

* * *

"So tell me about this job of yours?" Beth asked as they started walking back toward the house. She felt ok again after Daryl brought her to his special spot and told her that she was beautiful. He had even whispered that she was perfect. She knew he was a man of few words and that everything he said was important, so when he said those things to her, she took them to heart. She still didn't know what she did to deserve a friend like Daryl. But heck, who was she kidding? He was more than a friend to her, at least she felt like he was. She just didn't know if he felt the same way.

"Aaron asked if I would do some recruitin' with 'em after I got the bike fixed up." He said as they continued to walk slowly down the sidewalk.

"That's a good job for you. You're a good judge of character" she said sweetly as she watched him shrug in protest.

"I don't know 'bout that but I get a bike outa the deal, so it can't be all bad" he said with a chuckle. She smiled back up at him and then he watched her smile fall a little and she turned her gaze to the ground.

"That means your gunna leave" she mumbled out, all of a sudden a rush of fear over taking her at the thought of him leaving, not being beside her. Instead being out there where anything could happen. She knew he could handle himself, heck he was Daryl Dixon. But she just got him back and she wanted to be a little selfish. He stopped and turned at her words.

"Beth" he said as he grasped her hands in his, causing her to move her eyes up to meet his. Her bright blue eyes met his and she could see the confidence in then as he spoke to her.

"I'm not goin' anywhere till you are healed, that's the first thing you need to know. And if you decide that you still need me beside you after you are healed and feel safer here, I will stay. They can find somebody else to do it. I'll just hunt and supply them with food" he said as he squeezed her hands. She smiled softly as she looked into those beautiful ocean eyes.

"I will always feel safer with you beside me Daryl." She said softly as she ran her hand over his knuckles. She heard him take a breath in and tremble just a little as she continued. "And I'm not going to lie and say that the thought of you going out there doesn't terrify me, or the fact that I would be in here by myself doesn't either. But you are the best person for this job. It will only be for a few days at a time and I will have Rick, Michonne, Carol….I will be fine. It's not your job to look after me 24/7" she said with a small chuckle. As she did though she felt his hands grip her tighter and a low growl escaped his throat.

"I will always look after you. Never leaving you again, Greene" he said, his eyes shining with determination, anger and grit. She smiled back up at him again and gently rose on her toes, kissing him softly on his cheek. She saw his ears and neck flush red as she placed herself back on her feet. She was about to say something else when she heard their names being called from up the street.

"Hey Daryl, Hey Beth. How are you settling in Sunshine? Daryl treating you right?" Aaron asked as he looked from his friend to the pretty blond standing beside him. He had seen the quick, cheek kiss and could still see the last of the blush on Daryl's neck but decided to ignore it. He was happy for his friend and would not pester him about it, yet anyway.

"Of course he is" she said as she smiled up at Daryl and then looked back at Aaron "It's going ok. Got done with my interview a few hours ago and then Daryl and I have just been walking. How are things with you?" she asked sweetly

"Well they are great, thank you for asking. Actually I was looking for both of you" he said, a smile still spread across his face.

"Why's 'hat?" Daryl asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Eric is cooking spaghetti tonight. He knows how much you liked it and he is super excited to meet Beth. That is, if you two don't have any plans?" he finished, looking a little worried. Daryl watched his friend for a moment as a smirk started to form on his lips. He knew just from Aaron's expression that Eric had sent him out and told him to make sure he got them to come.

"What do you think? How do you feel about spaghetti?" Daryl asked as he looked over at Beth, his eyebrow raised and a small smile on his lips. Beth looked between Daryl and Aaron and smiled. She didn't really know what it was, but she felt comfortable with Aaron. Maybe it was the fact that she could tell that Daryl trusted him and he seemed to be one of the only friends Daryl had made in the safe zone. She got over the shock fast that they even had spaghetti and answered.

"I love spaghetti and would be honored to come over for dinner. I would love to meet Eric as well" she said sweetly. "Anybody that Daryl likes I'm sure will be amazing" she continued as she took Daryl's hand back in hers and squeezed. She felt him tense for just a moment and then relax under her grip.

"He is incredible" Aaron breathed out as he thought about his love, causing Beth to smile brighter at him. "6 o'clock them?" he asked as he looked between the two. Beth looked over at Daryl and he nodded back to her. Aaron had to smile at their unspoken connection.

"We will be there, thank you again for asking me" Beth answered sweetly. She saw something flash in Aaron's eyes that she couldn't make out as he took her hand.

"No Beth, thank you. " he said sincerely and as she was about to ask what he was thanking her for, he turned and waved to them saying he would see them at 6 and then he was gone.

"I really like him" Beth said as they watched him walk away.

"He's al'right" Daryl drawled out, causing Beth to giggle

"Wonder what he was thanking me for" she asked as they started walking toward the house again.

"Mmmhmmm" Daryl shrugged, not being able to actually speak because he had a good idea Aaron was thanking her for.


	13. Chapter 13

"Hey Rick" Beth said as she and Daryl made their way into their house, Beth giving Daryl a sweet smile when he held the door open for her.

"Hey Beth, Daryl. How did the interview go?" Rick asked as he pulled his jacket on. His smile disappeared when he saw the look that came over Beth's face at the mention of the interview and he saw Daryl's jaw clench.

"I'm gunna go see if there is anything to make for lunch. You hungry?" Beth asked Daryl. He shook his head no and she turned and walked to the kitchen, giving Rick a small smile as she went by. Both guys watched her walk away and as she went through the door of the kitchen Rick turned and raised his eyebrow at Daryl, silently questioning him. The hunter nodded his head toward the porch and they both exited silently.

* * *

"Oh hey Rosita" Beth exclaimed as she walked into the kitchen. She had not been expecting anybody to be in there when she entered.

"Hi Beth, sorry didn't mean to scare you. Came over to borrow some sugar as crazy as that sounds" she said with a chuckle. Beth smiled as well at the thought of simpler times when neighbors did come calling for sugar.

"I didn't get a chance to thank ya last night. For letting Maggie borrow some clothes for me" Beth said sweetly as she sat down in one of the high kitchen chairs. She still felt a little uneasy with the new people but she was getting a good vide from Rosita. She seemed really sweet.

"It's no problem. We seem to be the same size, so it worked out. Outfit looks better on you anyway" she replied with a grin as she pulled out the sugar and measured some into her container. As Beth watched her, a thought came to her mind.

"Rosita, Where do people around here normally go when they need to get clothes?" Beth asked, suddenly realizing she had nothing to wear to her dinner with Daryl at Aaron and Eric's tonight, unless she wanted to go in the same tank top and shorts she had on, or the other set Rosita had given her.

"There is a storage place that has all the clothes. A lady named Jane runs it." Rosita explained as she placed the sugar back in the cabinet and then turned to look at her. "Daryl didn't take you by there yet?" she asked as she leaned against the counter.

"No, we got a little sidetracked today." She said as she looked down at her hands. She could feel her cheeks getting flushed but she didn't want to make too big a deal about how Daryl had taken her to his special spot to make her feel better. She looked back up at Rosita who was giving her a knowing smile. "Do you think you could take me over there? Aaron and Eric asked me and Daryl over for dinner and I want something kinda nice to wear. It would also be helpful to pick up some more stuff so I can give this back to you" she said with a chuckle as she touched the tank top.

"Of course I can. You sure you want me to take you though? " Rosita questioned as she pushed herself off of the counter.

"Sure, if I didn't I wouldn't have asked" Beth replied with a smile.

"Ok come on then. Make sure you tell Dixon where you are going. If he came in and couldn't find you, he would probably lose his shit" Rosita commented as she patted Beth on her shoulder. Beth chuckled a little, but knew she was right. She would never leave without telling him anyway. This was a big step her leaving with somebody other than him to begin with, but she wanted whatever she picked out for tonight to be a surprise for him. She wanted to see him look at her again like he did yesterday when she walked down the stairs, clean from her first shower.

* * *

"What do you mean she called Beth a monster?" Rick growled out as he leaned up against the railing of the porch.

"She didn't come right out and call 'er one, but she said that 'er scars would scare the kids or some horse shit like that. It upset 'er" Daryl growled low in his throat as the memories of that morning came flooding back. Just the thought of what that woman had said made him want to go and scream at her more.

"That's bull. Judith still looks at her like she hung the moon, so does Carl. Those scars don't change who she is. I'm gunna have a little talk with…." Rick was cut off by the sound of the door opening and Rosita and Beth laughing as they walked out. Daryl lifted his eyebrow at her as he turned his gaze from Beth to Rosita and back again. He was surprised first that Rosita was even there and then even more surprised that Beth was acting so relaxed around her.

"What are you two beautiful ladies up too?" Rick asked smoothly, instantly changing his face from the pissed off look he just had to charming. Beth and Rosita giggled, causing some sort of clenching to happen in Daryl's chest 'Damn he really liked the sound of her giggling' he thought to himself.

"Beth here wants some new duds, so I'm gunna take her by Jane's to see what she can find" Rosita said happily as she wrapped her arm around Beth's shoulders.

"If you wait for a few moments I'll come with you" Daryl said as he went to pick up his crossbow. The feel of Beth's hand on his arm stopped him.

"You don't have too. I will be fine" she said softly, looking directly into his eyes. She could see the worry and confusion in his as she smiled up at him.

"You sure?" he asked softly. He didn't want to let her out of his sight. He wanted her right beside him, within arms reach. He knew she would be safe, that she could handle herself and that Rosita would be with her, but he still felt terrified.

"Yes, I'm gunna have to start getting used to doing things without you once you start going out on runs with Aaron, and this is just a short trip over to find some clothes. I promise I will be right back" she said sweetly, trying to convey to him how she needed to do this for herself. "And anyway, you really want to look over tons of clothes and boots and shoes and do all of those girly things?" she added with a chuckle. She barely heard him whisper out "would for you" which caused her cheeks to turn red but to also flash him the biggest smile she could.

"We will hurry back. Don't run off Dixon, we got a dinner date" Beth said sweetly as she tried to calm down the butterflies that had taken off in her stomach at hearing him whisper that. She saw the back of his neck turn red as Rick turned to look at him and Rosita grabbed her hand and pulled her off the porch. He recovered just in time to yell back at her "Better hurry Greene, I'll eat all the spaghetti"

* * *

"Oh my goodness I love this" Beth exclaimed as she pulled a beautiful white sundress with yellow flowers all over it off of one of the hangers. Jane had instantly taking a liking to Beth and had shown her and Rosita all of the newest clothes to choose from. She had pulled out a few dresses that she thought Beth would love. Even though Beth knew that it was safer to just grab jeans (anything you can run in) she instantly gravitated toward the white dress.

"It's yours if you want it" Jane stated as she and Rosita watched Beth twirl around with it.

"Really? Are you sure I'm not taking too much?" Beth asked as she looked at her stack on the floor.

"Non-sense. You only took two pair of jeans and a few shirts. If you want that dress, you take it. You should probably grab a few sweaters too, they are over there" the older lady said as she pointed Beth toward a rack that was along the back wall. Beth walked over and started looking thru the selection. As she did, something black at the end of the rack caught her eye. She went and pulled it out, instantly noticing the softness of it. As she pulled it off the rack, she noticed that it was a hoodie and as she turned it she almost gasped. On the back, there was a set of studded, angel wings. She knew instantly she had to take it. She softly ran her hands over the rhinestones, remembering another set of angel wings. She smiled as she took it off of the hanger and walked over, picking up her stack.

"Ok, that should do it" Beth stated happily as she looked back at Rosita and Jane.

"Not quiet Beth. You forgot shoes" Rosita said happily as she turned and motioned toward the floor. Beth's eyes went wide as she looked at the selection, until one pair caught her eye. As a tear welled up she pointed at them and said "those, I will take those.

* * *

Beth had showered and styled her hair into soft curls, before pinning a few back from her face. She looked at herself in the mirror, the white sundress fit her perfectly as did the brown cowboy boots she grabbed. She felt normal. If it was not for the bandage on her forehead and the scars, she would feel almost normal. She sighed, nothing she could do to change that. She gave herself one more look and took off out of the room. She hoped that Daryl liked how she looked, but she was not prepared for what she saw when she walked down the stairs. Standing by the door waiting for her was Daryl, in a pair of black jeans and a tight white shirt that showed off all of his muscles perfectly. On top of that shirt was his signature winged vest. She took him in as she let out a little gasp, as she did he looked up at her. The look in his eyes was something she never wanted to forget. She could see him run his gaze over her, lingering just a little longer on her legs and face. When they locked eyes, she gasped again because his eyes had gone a shade darker and there was something in them that she could not describe but she suddenly felt warm and felt like she was being hunted. She really liked both sensations.

"You ready?" she breathed out as she hit the last step. He instantly was jerked out of his thoughts and a small smile crept across his lips. He stretched his hand out and took hers as he whispered "Let's go"

* * *

_**I'm going to be on vacation starting tomorrow. I will try to update as much as I can, so please bare with me. Hope you loved this chapter :-)**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**So sorry for the wait on this. Hope you all like it :-)**_

* * *

"_Her name was Beth, and he loved her" Aaron whispered to Eric as they laid cuddled together in their bed, the night that Daryl had told Aaron about Beth. "Oh that is just so tragically sad" Eric breathed out with a sigh. "He doesn't seem like the type of guy that would fall in love easily." He continued as he snuggled into Aaron closer. Aaron shook his head and kissed the top of Eric's as he held him tight. He could not imagine what his new friend (if he could call him that yet) was going through. He wished that he could make it right for him somehow because he could tell just by looking at him that he deserved a little happiness. _

"_He said she was the reason why he didn't kill me the first time he saw me" Aaron whispered to Eric. _

"_She must have been amazing" Eric replied solemly. _

* * *

"Well here goes nothing" Daryl said as he knocked on the door in front of him. Beth sent him a smile as he looked back down at her, causing him to smirk just a little back at her. He had to keep telling himself that this was real, that she was real. That she was standing right beside him, getting ready to eat spaghetti with Aaron and Eric. He felt Beth link their hands together as they heard footsteps coming toward the door. In an instant, the door was flung open and a very smiley gentleman greeted them.

"Daryl, so happy you could join us" Eric stated as he ushered them into the house. "And this beautiful creature must be Beth. My goodness, Aaron was not lying! You are stunning!" he said with a bright smile as he took her hands into his. "It is an honor to have you in our home" he continued, his eyes turning very sincere. Beth looked from him to Daryl and back again with a smile.

"The honor is all mine. You must be Eric" she replied sweetly as she squeezed his hands in hers. She instantly liked him. He seemed really sweet and caring and just by the way that Daryl was almost smiling at him, she knew that Daryl liked him too.

"Eric, let the poor girl breath. It's good to see you again Beth. Daryl, it's great that you two could come." Aaron greeted as he came out of the kitchen and walked up beside of Eric.

"We really didn't get that much choice in tha' matter" Daryl said with a chuckle as Aaron handed him a beer.

"True, but we are both so glad that you two said yes. Beth, would you like a drink? We have wine, beer, iced tea, and water" Aaron asked, his eyes going from Daryl to Beth's.

"Wine would be good, thanks" she replied, her cheeks going a little red thinking about the last time she drank with Daryl. Daryl must have been thinking the same thing because as they walked toward the dining room, he walked up behind her and whispered in her ear.

"Ya sure ya want to be drinkin? I think Eric and Aaron like their house the way it is." he said with a growl that sent a shiver down her spine. She recovered quickly and leaned back into him.

"I only burn things down with moonshine. Never had wine, so who knows what I will do. And besides, I believe you helped with that fire, Mr. Dixon" she replied, her smile sweet as she walked past him into the dining room. He watched her go, his thoughts taken back for a second to that night. The feel of the heat of the fire, and Beth beside him, helping him rid his demons.

"What's this about a fire?" Eric asked as he sat a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs on the counter , bringing Daryl out of his thoughts.

"Oh it's a long story" Beth said as she sat down, Aaron placing the glass of wine in front of her.

"We love stories, especially ones about Daryl before he got here. Is it embarrassing?" Eric asked, his eyes showing a glint of mischief. Beth giggled as Daryl sat down beside her. She looked over at him, silently asking him if it was ok for her to tell the story. He nodded, knowing that he could trust the two guys that were now sitting across from them.

"Well, it all started when I decided that I wanted a drink" Beth said wistfully, with a gleam in her eye.

* * *

"I still cannot believe that you two burned down a place" Eric exclaimed as he walked Beth toward the door, Aaron and Daryl behind them, whispering to themselves.

"One of the best nights of my life" Beth said with a smile as she looked over at Daryl, who looked up at her and caught her eyes with his, a slow smile spreading across his lips too.

"I'm so happy that I got to meet you Beth, I hope that we can do this again really soon" Eric said as he pulled Beth into a hug. Beth's tensed for a second and then hugged him back.

"Yes, I would love that. When these two are out recruiting, we can keep each other company" she replied cheerily, even though the thought of Daryl leaving still left a weight in her chest.

"That's a plan" He replied with a smile.

"What's a plan?" Daryl asked as he walked up beside of them, his hand finding Beth's lower back.

"It's our secret" Beth replied with a chuckle as Eric opened the door for them both.

"Goodnight you two. Get home safe" Aaron said as he and Eric walked back into the house and shut the door.

Beth sighed as she watched the door shut and started down the sidewalk, Daryl coming up beside her.

"They are some of the nicest people I have ever met" Beth said with a smile

"They are. But in the beginning, really wanted to just put a bolt in Aaron's head, the way he was watching us and then approaching us" he mumbled out as they kept walking.

"What stopped you?" Beth asked as she looked up at him. She saw him shrug and rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that. What stopped you?" she asked again and they were both instantly transported to another time, sitting across from each other in the funeral home. Daryl took a breath, he let that moment get away from him, he was not about to let this one too.

"You, you stopped me. Telling me that there was still good people out there. I knew that you would want me to give him a chance, so I did" he mumbled out as he lowered his eyes to look at his boots. Beth gasped just a little, just the thought that Daryl actually admitted it made her heart swell. She leaned up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. The action caused him to look back up at her as she sat back down on her feet. She smiled shyly at him and took his hand into hers and started walking back toward their house, no more words being said.

* * *

"She really is amazing huh?" Aaron said as they sat down on the couch in their living room.

"Yeah she is. Do you think he will ever tell her how he feels?" Eric asked as he cuddled in close to him.

"Your guess is as good as mine, but I hope he does soon" Aaron said as he kissed the top of Eric's head.


	15. Chapter 15

**Ok...just wanted to point out that I really don't _hate _Maggie...but I didn't agree with her not looking for Beth and then ditching her for DC with the "new people". Now if you are reading my other two stories, you will know that I loved the sister bond that Maggie and Beth had before the prison fall and eventurally they will get back to that in this one too...but right now she isn't going to be that...she thinks she is but she isn't. Now with that being said...HAPPY READING!**

* * *

Beth sighed just a little as they walked up the steps onto the porch of the house she hoped one day she might be able to call home. She really didn't want this night to end. She had so much fun (more fun than she ever could have imagined just a few days ago) just being with Daryl, Aaron and Eric. She was just about to ask Daryl if they could just sit out on the porch for a few moments when the sound of raised voices caught their ears.

Daryl immediately let go of Beth's hand and headed toward the door, instantly feeling for his crossbow that he had stupidly left in their room. 'Their room'….he thought with a shake of his head. After he found out what was going on inside, he would have to ponder that thought too.

"You had no right saying anything like that to her" Rick's booming voice broke through the air as Daryl and Beth bolted inside the door. The noise they made causing everybody in the living room to stop speaking and turn to them. It looked like to both Daryl and Beth that they had interrupted a very heated conversation between Rick, Michonne, Maggie and Deanna.

"What did we miss?" Daryl asked as he shut the door and then crossed his arms over his chest. He raised his eyebrow at Rick, silently asking his best friend to explain what was going on. But before he had a chance too, Maggie spoke up.

"Bethy, I was just trying to explain to Rick and Michonne that what Deanna said to you this morning, you might have been taken the wrong way" Maggie started to explain sweetly, with a tone that made Beth's stomach twist in disgust. Was her sister…..her own sister….trying to justify what Deanna had said to her that morning about her scars?

"There really was no wrong way to take it Maggie. And it's fine. I'm a monster that cannot look after children because of my hideous scars. That was the jist of it right, Deanna?" Beth spoke, venom back in her voice as she looked over at Deanna, the woman having the actual respect to look apologetic.

"Beth, you are being way too sensitive about all of this, if you just let her explain…."Maggie started, but was cut off by Deanna, placing her hand on Maggie's arm and a low growl coming from Daryl.

"Maggie, I appreciate you trying to defend me, but Beth is absolutely correct. As was Daryl, Rick and Michonne ." She said as she took a breath and took a tentative step toward Beth, stopping a little ways away still when she saw the big hunter start to move between them.

"Beth, I would like to offer you my sincere apologies. I did not think when I spoke this morning and if I had, I would never have said what I did. You are a survivor Beth, and we would be honored to have you in this community, no matter how you would like to contribute. I really hope you can accept my apology" Deanna asked, a small smile that seemed sincere to Beth crossing her lips. She looked over and caught Daryl's eye, raising an eyebrow a little to see what he thought. When she just got a shrug out of him, she turned back to face Deanna again. She didn't see anything ingenuine about her. Her Daddy used to say that everybody made mistakes and deserved a second chance, so who was she to not give her one.

"It's fine Deanna. I accept your apology" Beth said, a small smile gracing her lips as well. At her words, Deanna's smile got wider.

"I'm so happy Beth. I was hoping we could start over. I brought a few books for you from my library, since I saw you looking at them earlier. You can return them whenever" Deanna said as she turned and pointed to the stack of books on the end table in the living room. "And I also wanted to invite you, and Daryl of course" she said as she eyed the man beside her "to a party tomorrow night. We had one a few weeks ago to welcome your group here, and now we would like to welcome you. What do you say?" Deanna asked, her eyes lighting up as she spoke. At the mention of a party, Beth's insides tightened up a little bit. All of those people, in the same room, crowding around her. She didn't know if she could handle that. As if reading her mind, Deanna spoke up again "Don't worry, they will know not to crowd you. And you can leave anytime you want."

"Ok" Beth said softly, her reply causing Deanna to smile again then turn to pick up her bag she had brought with her. "Did you get a chance to stop by the doctor today Beth?" she asked as she walked toward the door.

"No, I didn't know there was one" the blond replied with a shrug.

"No problem. Just go tomorrow and have him check you out. He can also make sure that your head is healing the way it should be. Let me know if you need anything and see you tomorrow night everybody" Deanna said as she walked out of the door. Maggie started to follow her but came over to Beth, pulling her into a hug. Beth held her hands at her sides, not really wanting to hug her sister at this time. Daryl watched them, instantly seeing Beth tense up again but if Maggie noticed she didn't say anything.

"Love you Bethy, see you tomorrow everybody" Maggie said, chipper as ever as she walked out of the door. As soon as it shut, Beth let out a huge breath she had been holding. How could her sister have sided with that woman over what she said? Yes, she accepted Deanna's apology but it didn't make what she said any less cruel and Maggie just thinking it was ok hurt Beth. From what she could tell, Rick and Michonne had stood up for her just like Daryl had, but her own sister didn't. Guess that shouldn't surprise her, since Maggie didn't bother looking for her or anything before either. Her thoughts were broken when she felt calloused fingers graze her arm.

"You ok?" his voice rough as he looked at her. As her gaze met his, she melted into a sea of blue and then found her strength again.

"I'm fine. Really" she said, a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes so Daryl knew there was more too it.

"Beth, tomorrow when you go to the doctor, I want you to take one of us with you. Either myself, Daryl, Michonne or Carol" Rick said, his voice caring but firm.

"Ok but why?" Beth asked, her gaze running from Rick's to Michonne's and then Daryl's. All of them looking like they had a secret.

"He is not a good man Beth, and he is a drunk. I would just feel safer if you had one of us with you" Rick said, his tone left nothing for Beth to question. She knew that if Rick was making this request, he had good reason for it.

"Don't worry, I'm gunna go with 'er. " Daryl stated as he walked up beside Beth. She saw Rick and Daryl share a nod, knowing what that look meant as well. It was the 'if he touches her, I'm going to kill him' and the reply of 'ok' nod.

"Ok, now if all of that is settled, can we get onto a better topic?" Michonne asked, all three of them looking at her as the smile grew on her face. "So what did you think of Aaron and Eric?"


	16. Chapter 16

_**Thank you to everybody that has reviewed, favored and followed this story! ** _

* * *

Beth swore she heard knocking as she started to pull herself out of her dreamless sleep. She felt a strong weight across her waist and smiled as she realized that it was Daryl's arm slung over her, keeping her firmly pressed against his chest. She loved that they woke up like this. They might not have had a conversation about what they mean to each other, heck she didn't even know if Daryl was capable of having that kind of conversation. But waking up like this, wrapped up in Daryl's strong arms gave her hope that one day they would have that conversation. She started to snuggle into him more, his arm tightening around her instinctively as he whispered "Beth" into her hair when she heard the knocking again, this time louder and more forceful. It wasn't coming from their bedroom door, so it must have been coming from the front door. As another knock rang through the house, this time Daryl jerked awake, pulling his arm from her as he pushed himself up.

"Who tha fuck is that?" He growled out as he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his jeans and boots on. Beth tried to hide the blush as she watched him, thinking back to him wrapped around her just a few moments ago in just his boxers and t-shirt.

"Don't know" she muttered as she shrugged her shoulders and moved to get out of bed as well, stopping when he held his hand out.

"You wait here, till I see who it is" he stated as he turned to grab his crossbow from the floor.

"Daryl" Beth sighed, pulling her jeans on "I am in no danger here. You, Rick, Carol, Michonne, and Morgan all live here. Do you think anybody would even dream of trying anything.? And I'm no slouch either in case you forgot" she stated with an arched eyebrow. "Anyway, listen" she continued as she pointed toward the door. Daryl's eyebrow rose when they heard Rick's voice coming from downstairs, talking to a voice that sounded like Aaron's. Daryl looked back at Beth with a worried glance and motioned for her to follow him as he held the door open for her. She smiled sweetly at him as she walked past and they both headed toward the stairs.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked gruffly as they made it to the bottom of the stairs. Aaron and Rick both whipped around, totally unaware that either Beth or Daryl had come down. Instantly seeing the archer, Aaron's face twisted into anxiousness.

"One of the run parties just got back and said that they saw a group of about 3 people about a day away. Thought we should go check them out" Aaron started, turning his gaze from Daryl to Beth as he continued "If you can't, I can go on my own" he added. He knew how Beth being back changed Daryl's view on going on the scouting missions. He knew that Daryl didn't want to leave Beth's side, but he also knew that he needed the archer with him when he went out of the gates.

"Well um, Beth's suppost to go to the doc's this mornin', so um" he started but was stopped when he felt a delicate hand touch his arm. He looked down to see her smiling up at him.

"Daryl, I will be fine. I'm sure Rick, Carol or Michonne will take me. You should go with Aaron. He needs you with him. He needs the best" she said sweetly, her eyes and lips smiling up at him. Of course she didn't want him to go. She wanted to be selfish and tell him that he had to stay with her always, but she knew she couldn't do that. Those people, the ones that the run crew had seen, they could be good people that needed help. She knew what it was like to have Aaron find you after you have been on the road for so long that the days and nights blended together in a violent fog. She also knew that Daryl really was the best one for the job. So she kept the smile on her face until she could see his eyes change and he shook his head toward Aaron.

"Ok, so when do we leave?" He asked gruffly, his hand gently running his finger up and down Beth's arm, like he needed to make sure she was still there and would always be there. God it was going to kill him to go through those gates and leave her behind.

"As soon as you can get packed. Is the bike ready yet?" Aaron asked as he smiled at Beth and then looked at the archer.

"Mmmhmm, finished it up yesterday" he mumbled as he brought his thumb up to his mouth, his gaze going from Aaron back to Beth. She could tell that he was still anxious about leaving her so she tried to ease his worry, but before she could Rick spoke up instead.

"I will take Beth to the doctor's, if that is ok with you Beth" Rick stated with a smile. He could see his best friend and the internal battle he had going on in his head.

"Of course it's ok Rick. Thank you" she said sweetly as she turned back around to face Daryl again, the smile on her face and Rick's help easing his mind even more.

* * *

"Hurry back, ok" Beth said as she watched Daryl adjust the saddle bag on the bike and her hands nervously played with the hem of her tank top. Now that the time had come for him to actually leave, she was nervous. All of those horrible "what if" questions were swirling around in her head. He looked up into her eyes and could instantly see the conflict in them. He came over and gently took her hands into his.

"I will, I promise. You take care of yourself and rest. If you need anything, go to Rick or Carol ok?" He said as he motioned over to his friends. Carol was a few feet away and Rick was standing beside the gate, ready to let them out.

"I will. I promise, Mr. Dixon" she repeated his works with a little smirk. He smirked back at her, muttering under his breath something that sounded to her like "smartass" then he pulled her to him and held her tightly, his arms wrapped around her. She breathed in his scent as she felt his lips ghost on the top of her head. Just as soon as it started, it ended and he was on the bike. They didn't say goodbye…they never said goodbye. As he revved the engine, she made her way over to Carol, who wrapped her arm around her. They both watched as Rick opened the gate and Daryl took off, not looking back toward them. Beth leaned her head on Carol's shoulder as she felt a stray tear fall down her cheek.

"He will be fine, Beth. You know Daryl, nothing can stop him" Carol said softly as she patted her shoulder and squeezed tightly.

"Your right, I know. It's just…." She started as she wiped the single tear off of her cheek.

"Ya just got him back" Carol finished for her. Beth shook her head "Yes" and Carol just smiled and nodded in return as they both watched Rick walk over to them.

"Beth, you want to get this doctor's appointment over with?" Rick asked. Beth didn't miss the angry glare that flashed across Rick's eyes when he mentioned doctor.

"Guess I have no choice" she replied back with a small smile.

* * *

"Well sheriff, what brings you in my office" a voice asked in a slurred sneer, as they walked into an office that had "DOCTOR" written above it.

"Beth has an appointment to have you check her out, so I came with her" Rick stated, his voice even and firm. Beth knew that voice, she had heard it a few times. That was the "My name is Rick Grimes and I know you are not fucking with me" voice.

"Oh, so you are Beth Greene, the girl who miraculously survived a gunshot wound to the head" the doctor asked as he came into view, obviously ignoring Rick's tone of voice. He was in his mid-thirties, with dark bags under his bloodshot eyes and blondish hair.

"I don't know about miraculous, but yes I survived a gunshot wound to the head" she replied slowly, eyeing him up and down and not liking what she saw.

"Ok, get on up here" he ordered roughly as he turned toward his table to grab some instruments. He came back around and leaned forward, placing the stethoscope above her breast, listening to her heartbeat. She didn't miss the leer he threw at her as he looked down at her cleavage, but neither did Rick as he moved to stand beside of her.

"Well you are a pretty girl aren't you Beth? Seems a little young for you Grimes? Have you given up chasing after married women to now play in the school yard?" he sneered as he started feeling around her head.

"Watch yer mouth Pete! Nothing is going on with your wife and nothing is going on with Beth. So why don't you just keep doing your job?" he growled out, that tone back again.

"Yeah, I'm sure" he mumbled out as he kept feeling around Beth's scalp. Beth could smell the alcohol on him, knowing that was what was making him speak to Rick the way he was. Nobody in their right mind would mess with Rick when he spoke like that.

"Are you drunk?" Beth asked, then all of a sudden a pain shot through her head and she let out a scream. She could feel his thumb on a still tender spot on her head, pushing down with a force and then it was gone. As the black spots that appeared in her vision started to disappear, she could see that Rick had Pete pushed up against the wall, his arm across his neck, choking him.

"Rick" Beth breathed out, causing him to turn and let the doctor go. Pete slumped on the floor as Rick came back over to her.

"You alright?" he asked, as he gently ran his hand across her face.

"Yeah I think. It was just tender where he touched, that's all" she tried to justify it, knowing that yes it was tender, but that he pushed down harder on purpose because she asked if he was drunk. She tried to curb her anger, wanting nothing more than to lunge at him herself but she didn't want Rick to kill him. She was thankful right then that Daryl was not there, because he would have killed him, without hesitating.

"Get the fuck out of here" Pete growled out from his position still slumped on the floor, his voice hoarse from being choked.

"Happily! I will go to Rosita if I need anything in the future" Beth stated angrily, with an edge of pain in her voice as she edged herself off of the table. Her head still hurt, but it was nowhere near what it felt like before. She felt Rick's hand go to her arm, helping her walk to the door. He stopped though in front of Pete…..

"You ever put your hands on her like that again, or anybody else in this community, I will kill you" he snarled, his eyes cold and menacing. This time Pete had the good sense to not say anything back as Rick helped Beth out of the door.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Ok, a lot is going to happen in this chapter. I know that in the show that these events happened over a few days, but I had them all happen in one day in my story because I don't think Daryl would stay gone from Beth for that long...hope you like it and I am going to go hide in the corner now**_

* * *

"I'm really ok Rick. I promise" Beth pleaded with a small smile as Rick handed her a glass of water and some aspirin. Her head still hurt a little, but it was nothing she was not used too and could not handle.

"Just want to make sure. You rest ok? I'm going to go make my rounds, but if you need anything…." He started but was cut off by Morgan coming into the living room.

"I'm here. You need anything just ask Sunshine" Morgan said, throwing her a soft smile. She smiled back and snuggled down into the couch, thoughts of Daryl and the feel of his lips on her head dragging away all other thoughts as she fell asleep.

She was woken up a little later by the sound of yelling from the street. She jumped up and looked outside, seeing a crowd formed but not being able to make out what was going on. She grabbed her knife and secured it, then walked out of the house toward the crowd. She saw Carol standing there, with a little boy in front of her, both of them watching the brawl in front of her. Once she turned to look at it herself she gasped….seeing Rick and Pete beating the hell out of each other on the pavement. She saw Carl run over and try to pull Rick off, but Rick was in that crazed mode and just brushed him off. Then Jessie (yeah she thought that was her name) came running over and tried to drag Pete off but instead caught a right hook to the face for her troubles.

Beth didn't know what to do, so she ran over and placed her hands on Carl's shoulders, trying to give him as much support as she could. After a few seconds, Rick got the upper hand

"I told you earlier that if you laid a hand on anybody in this place again, you would die. I should've killed you after what you did to Beth earlier" Carl turned his head to look at Beth. She just shook her head and smiled, letting him know she was ok. "Now you go and hit your wife again. I should shoot you now" Rick sneered as he pulled the gun out of his waist and cocked it at Pete's head.

"Rick, stop!" Deanna demanded as she, her husband and son ran up in front of him. Beth stood there, frozen with her hands on Carl's shoulders as she listened to Rick go on and on about how the people here are not safe and that they were in trouble. She totally agreed with him, but his presentation left something to be desired. She saw the crazy look in Rick's eyes and knew that one of them was going to have to stop him before he went too far. Luckily before she, Carl, Carol or Morgan (who had come out at the last minute) had too, Michonne walked up and knocked him out.

"Come on, let's go help Michonne with your Dad" Beth said, letting out the breath she had been holding as she watched the events unfold. Carl nodded and they both went over to help carry Rick back inside.

* * *

About an hour later, Beth was inside with Carl playing a board game when the front door flung open. Beth and Carl both instinctively went for their weapons as they sprang from the couch, only to see Abraham standing there.

"Sorry Sunshine, Carl for scaring you both. But we need Rick. There was an accident on the run today for the solar panels" he stated as he darted up the stairs and pounded on Rick's door. He had regained consciousness about 5 minutes after Michonne hit him, but was still resting (or hiding) in his room. Beth felt herself get a little dizzy as she stood there, panic overtaking her as she wondered if the people from their group were ok. Glenn, Noah and Tara were on that run, and the horrible pit in her stomach would not go away.

"Is everybody ok?" Beth asked as Rick followed Abe down the stairs. Rick just looked at her and shook his head so Beth and Carl followed him out and down the street toward the doctor's office. Once they got there, she saw Maggie standing over a bloody Glenn and ran over to them.

"Oh my god! Are you ok Glenn?" Beth asked as she looked at his face. She saw Rick over talking to a weeping Deanna and the pit started to get wider in her stomach. When her eyes landed on Glenn's, she saw the emotion there, the anger, and the heartache. "Oh no! Who was it?" She asked softly, afraid that she already knew the answer.

"I'm sorry Beth. I tried to get to him. I really did" Glenn said through the tears that started to form. Beth heard the words but everything else around her faded away and started spinning. 'Not Noah! Not after everything' She started to fall over and felt two arms wrap around her.

"It's ok Sunshine, I got you" she heard Abe's voice from behind her, his arms steading her up.

"Tara is hurt too, ya know! They don't know if she is going to make it." Maggie added, her tears streaming down her face. Beth tried to hide the hurt and anger that Maggie didn't seem fazed at all that she had almost just passed out and was trying to make her feel bad for not asking about Tara. She let out a sigh and turned her now slightly blurry vision to Glenn.

"What happened?" She asked him, her emotions starting to take over again as the tears started to slowly fall.

"Yeah, can you tell us what happened Glenn?" Rick asked as he came over and sat beside him. Maggie gave him a small smile as Glenn sighed and started his story.

* * *

"Ya know, they are going to have a meeting about my Dad tonight" Carl said as he watched Beth feed Judith. Beth turned her head from the smiling baby to Carl.

"Yeah, I am going to leave here in a few minutes to go. I am sure your Dad is going to be just fine. We will all explain that and it will be ok" Beth stated, hoping her words brought comfort to Carl because they didn't do anything to help the pit that was still there in her stomach. After everything that had happened today, Pete hurting her, Rick and Pete's fight, Noah dying, Tara getting hurt and now they want to have a meeting to discuss Rick staying here. She didn't know what kinda frame of mind Deanna or Reg would be in to have this meeting after just losing their son (Aiden had died on the run today as well) but it seemed like Deanna was one of those people that focused on her job when her grief got too much, so the meeting was tonight.

"What if they make us leave?" Carl asked as he stroked Judith's hair. Beth looked at them both and sighed. She knew what would happen if they tried to make the group leave. It caused her to shudder a little, and she really didn't agree with it but if it kept Carl and Judith safe, she would go along with it.

"They won't, don't worry" Beth stated, her voice firm.

* * *

Beth was standing beside of Carol and Eric during the meeting, everybody listing off the reasons why Rick should stay or go. She smiled when the members of her group would speak, even laughing out loud a little at Abraham's speech. When it came to her turn she took a deep breath as she started.

"I know what happened today probably scared a few people. But I can tell you that the day that Rick showed up on our front porch was the luckiest day of our lives. We would never have survived if it was not for Rick Grimes. He might be a little…." She started but was cut off when Rick came walking into the circle and flung down a dead walker in front of them all.

"The gate was open, somebody left it open and it got in" Rick stated angrily. "You people are soft, weak but you don't have to be. We can make this place work, we can….." he stopped as he saw Pete come around the corner, pointing Michonne's katana at him.

"You are not a part of this group. This all started when you and all of them got here" he screamed out as he waved the katana around.

Pete, calm down, please" Reg asked, as he made his way over to try to disarm him. But Pete in his drunkenness, swung and slicked his neck. Beth watched as he fell to the ground, clutching his neck as visions of her father being killed by that same sword, came rushing back. She vaguely heard Michonne and Abraham tackle Pete and Deanna tell Rick to do it. Before she could register what Deanna told him to do, she heard a gunshot that made her jump almost out of her skin, the thoughts of her dad now at war with the small memory she had of being shot and the nagging feeling of how Pete got the machette to begin with since Carl and Judith were at the house. She tried to fight off the fog but couldn't until she felt an arm that she realized was Carol's wrap around her and start to walk her toward the entrance of the lawn they were in. She felt Carol stop and started to look up when she heard it.

"Beth" his voice called to her, the most welcome voice she had heard all day. She looked up and her eyes met his as a smile spread across her weary face. He looked around at the scene before him as Aaron walked over to Eric and then back to her. As she felt Carol let go of her, she started toward him. God all she wanted to do was feel his arms around her, after the day she had that was all she wanted. But something she saw right before she got to him made her freeze. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Daryl's waist and she saw a woman bury her face into his chest, tears running down her cheek. Beth stopped dead in her tracks as she took in this woman holding onto the archer 'her archer' and then moved her gaze up to his, silently asking for an explanation.


	18. Chapter 18

_**For some reason this chapter seems like a jumbled mess to me, but I hope you like it...**_

_**Ok everybody...are you ready to find out who she is?**_

* * *

Beth could see Daryl's whole body tense when whoever this woman was wrapped herself around him and buried her face into his shirt. She raised her eyebrow at Daryl, whose nodded a little and looked over at Aaron.

"Hey, can you take her for a moment? Gotta talk ta Beth" Daryl grumbled out as Aaron walked back over to him. The girl wrapped around Daryl didn't seem to want to let go at first, flashing Beth an evil glare that didn't go unnoticed by the blond until Daryl leaned down and whispered to her that he would be back. She finally let go of him and wrapped herself around Aaron, but Beth noticed she didn't look pleased about it. She felt Daryl's hand rest on her arm and she let him lead her around the stone wall of the house they had the meeting at, until they were out of sight of everybody. Once they were, Daryl stopped and looked her over, noticing instantly the weary look in her eyes.

"What happened?" He asked, barely touching her arm as he pointed toward the lawn they had just come from.

"I don't even know where to start. It's a long story. A lot has happened today" Beth started, rubbing her temples to try to stop the headache that was slowly getting worse and sighing as she looked back up at him. "Who is she?" Beth asked before she could stop herself, hating how hurt her voice sounded when she asked the question she had been wondering since she saw the woman wrap herself around Daryl. Daryl sighed and ran his hand over his face before he looked back at her.

"She was one of the people in the group the run crew saw. There were three of them, but by the time we got there, the man that was with them was dead. We came up just as about 5 walkers surrounded them. I saved her from one that grabbed her and she has been wrapped around me ever since. I guess she is just freaked out by what happened. " He said just above a whisper. Beth nodded, she could understand being scared, and thinking of Daryl as a savior. Hell, she had been there a few times herself and who wouldn't want to wrap their arms around him.

"Well let's go back to her, can't have her knight in shining armor abandon her just to talk to little ole' me" she joked with a chuckle. She saw Daryl's ears turn red and her smile got wider

"Aint no knight girl" he growled as he nudged her arm as they started walking back toward Aaron, Eric and Vanessa, who was still clutching onto Aaron but had another woman standing beside her. She fought back the urge to tell him that he would always be her knight. She also wanted to tell Daryl about everything that had happened while he had been gone, but right now it was about getting these two women looked after.

"Hi, I'm Beth" she introduced herself sweetly, smiling at both women. The one that had clutched onto Aaron let go of him quickly and latched back onto Daryl, throwing him back just a little. Beth saw a small smile creep across her face as she held tight onto Daryl.

"I'm Valarie and that is my sister Vanessa. But everybody calls her 'Nessa'" Valarie said with a small smile as she held out her hand toward Beth. Beth smiled back as she turned her attention from the woman clutching Daryl again and shook Valarie's hand.

"It's nice to meet you both" Beth replied sweetly as she turned to look at Nessa, not missing another evil sneer the girl sent her. She wondered if maybe she was just scared of new people, being out there can do that to you. She looked back up and met Daryl's eyes, not missing the look of concern he was throwing her while he was still tensed up under Nessa's grasp.

"We should get them to the doct…..um well I guess maybe Rosita can look at them?" Aaron started as he looked around at the pool of blood that was on the ground from where Pete had just been shot.

"NO, DON'T LEAVE DARYL!" Nessa screamed as he gripped Daryl tighter. He looked from Aaron, to Beth and back again, not really knowing what to do. This was out of his realm and Beth could see that. He was good with kinda comforting the people he considered his family, and he was ok with Beth touching him, but this was different.

"How about if I take you and your sister to see Rosita so the guys can rest?" Beth asked softly, trying not to spook her. Again she got an evil look from the girl before a scream laced the quiet night air.

"NO! ONLY DARYL!"

Beth looks at him and shrugged her shoulders as Daryl sighed and ran his hand over his face again.

"Ok, I will be home soon. You can tell me about what happened today when I get there, ok?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow at her. She smiled back at him, grateful that she was going to have him back in her bed again, his arm wrapped around her as she told him about the horrible events of the day.

"Ok, see you soon. It's nice to meet you both Nessa and Valarie" she said sweetly as she started to walk back down the street. As she passed Daryl and Nessa, she did not miss the smirk that was spread across Nessa's face as she watched her go.

* * *

Beth woke up the next morning with a start. She must have fallen asleep waiting for Daryl, but never remembered him coming in. She felt over on his side of the bed and noticed it was still cold, so he had never actually come home. She sighed to herself as she got out of bed and headed toward the shower as thoughts of Daryl not coming home ran through her head. Maybe he got pulled into something, or maybe that Nessa girl threw another temper tantrum so he had to stay. She scolded herself for even thinking negatively about a girl that had just been through what Nessa had, but she could not block out the thought that something was not right about her. And the looks that the girl was throwing her while she was talking to them last night. Maybe all of the other ones missed them, but she didn't. That smirk at the end when she got what she wanted, yeah she was not all nice and sweet. "Come on Beth, you would be acting funny too and skittish around people too" she chided herself. "Give her another chance, maybe after resting she will be ok. I'm sure she is not going to want Daryl around her 24/7" she said to herself as she got out of the shower and got changed. But that little voice in the back of her mind kept telling her "Who wouldn't want Daryl around all the time, you do. Any girl would be blind to not want him. He probably really does like being around her, maybe even more than you if he didn't come home last night"

Beth tried to block that evil voice out of her head as she walked down the stairs, seeing most of her family sitting around their dining room table, along with Deanna, who's eyes look totally bloodshot. Beth had to hand it to the woman, she was tough. Her eyes lock on Daryl as he sees him in the corner talking to Rick.

"Sunshine, how are you feeling today?" Abraham asks as he throws her a huge smile. She smiles back and her eyes lock onto Daryl's, the concern and worry showing through.

"I'm fine. Still a slight headache but nothing I can't handle. So what's going on here?" She asks as she looks around at everybody.

"We are talking about what we should do about a doctor for the town, with what happened last night" Rosita said softly as she glances over at Rick and then Deanna. Beth nods and goes to stand beside of Daryl. She smiles when she feels his hand gently rub her arm as she leans up against the wall.

"Ya ok?" He whispers to her. She nods her head as she locks eyes with him. "I'm sorry I didn't come back last night. Every time I would ty to leave she would start screamin bloody murder" he mumbled out, looking at the floor. Beth sighed and nodded her head. She kinda figured that was why.

"It's ok. I kinda thought that was what happened" she whispered back to him as her eyes remained locked onto his. She could see that he was waring with something in his head, something he wanted to say. But before either of them could say anything else Carol's voice boomed from the table.

"You cannot be serious Maggie?"

All eyes turned to the older Greene girl, but her face was stone. Beth knew that face, knew it well.

"Yes, I am serious! We need a doctor, they have one…or at least had one" she stated, matter of factly.

"How could you even suggest that? After what they did?" Carol asked, her voice hard and cold. Instantly Beth froze, something inside of her knotting up with the fear of knowing what Maggie had been suggesting. There was no way though! No way her sister would ever suggest that. Not after what they had done to her.

"After what who did?" Rick asked, not hearing what Maggie had suggested. She saw her sister take a breath and look toward her, her green eyes hard.

"We should go back to Grady and get their doctor"

* * *

_**Ok, the Maggie/Beth showdown will be the next chapter! Also, not all is as it seems with "Nessa"** _


	19. Chapter 19

_**Hope you all like it! Thank you everybody that has reviewed and favored. ** _

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"What the hell did ya just say?" Daryl growled as he moved himself in front of Beth and locked his glare on Maggie. "How in the fuck could you even think of suggestin' somethin' like that?"

"You said you killed the one that hurt Beth! The one that kidnapped her and the one that shot her is dead right" Maggie spoke, her eyes still hard but not as hard as before. She tried to look around Daryl to Beth but the archer was not allowing it.

"You don't know what it was like in there Maggie" Carol started, shaking her head at just the thought of going back there.

"No, I don't know. Noah never spoke of it, except to tell about how Beth helped him escape and Beth never speaks of it" Maggie replied. "But you said you killed the person that hurt Beth" she continued, her eyes going from Daryl to Rick. Beth's thoughts kept swirling around in her head. Her sister really thought that Dawn was the only person that actually hurt her at that place. Maybe that was partly her fault for not telling people what happened, but she just wanted to forget about it, not relive it over and over.

"That doctor is evil" Beth started, her voice low and shaky. Daryl turned just a little to look down at her as she moved from behind him, gently touching his arm as she went. Her eyes locked onto her sisters and she could feel the emotion building up in them. She saw Daryl's eyes were glaring at Maggie, if looks could kill Maggie would be a puddle on the floor. She was not sure she had seen Daryl that pissed in a long time.

"He tricked me into killing somebody Maggie. Ya know that scar that Noah had above his eye? He got that because the doctor there tricked me into killing a living person to secure his own job. When Dawn came back and discovered what happened, Noah took the blame and took the beating that was meant for me. That doctor, he saved his own ass and turned me into a murderer" Beth whispered out the last part, the guilt over the act still hurting her core. She felt Daryl's hand interlock with hers and give her hand a gentle squeeze, giving her a little of his strength.

"You never talk about it Beth." Maggie started, but was stopped when Beth put her hand up

"No, I don't talk about it. A lot of really horrible things happened in that place, and I never want to relive them. I was taken from Daryl, stolen right from him by those people. Do you remember what it felt like after you and Glenn were kidnapped by the Governor and what he did to you? How you didn't want to talk about it at all. Well that is how it was for me too. What happened to you, happened to me and that doctor did nothing to stop it" Beth said, just above a whisper. She never wanted anybody to know about Gorman, maybe one day she would have told Daryl and it killed her to say it out loud in front of everybody, but her sister had to understand. And it was in that instant that she could see everything click in Maggie's eyes as she felt Daryl tense beside her as the realization of what she was saying hit him too. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with a look of pure anger and hate.

"I'm so sorry Bethy. I didn't know. If you had told me, I would never have suggested something like that. I was just worried about Tara getting the help that she needed" Maggie said, her voice filled with sadness as tears stung her eyes. But as she spoke, Beth just got angry. Her words just sounded like Maggie was still trying to blame her for her own stupid suggestion. It was typical Maggie. It was all her fault that Maggie suggested that they bring the doctor from the place that kidnapped her from Daryl, to save the replacement sister, just because Beth didn't want to talk about it.

"Yeah you wouldn't know, would you Maggie? You were not there when Daryl, Rick, Sasha, Tyreese and Noah came back to rescue me and Carol. Where were you Maggie?" Beth asked, her usually sweet voice sounding like steel. Beth saw Maggie's eyes go wide as she tried to find an answer.

"Well um I was there, but it was too late" Maggie stuttered out

"Yeah, and why didn't you come with the group? Oh yeah that's right...because you decided that going with the new people you met was more important than finding your sister. As long as you were with Glenn you didn't care about anybody else. Am I right Maggie?" Beth growled out. She saw the tears starting to fall in Maggie's eyes and saw Glenn look down at the table at the realization that Beth knew what happened.

"Oh and just so you know Maggie, I saw the notes that you left for Glenn to go to Terminus. Morgan and I had to double back at one point and I saw them. I guess it took way to much effort for you to add my name below Glenn's. Or is it that you just assumed I was dead? That I didn't make it? "She growled out a breath and looked her sister in the eye again "You know I begged Daryl every day we were out there to keep looking for you. I never gave up hope that you were alive. And for you to just give up hope that I was, kills me. And now you, want to make me feel bad because I never told you what happened at Grady. Why in the hell would I tell you" her words start coming out louder with her anger, Maggie's crying only softening her just a little. "You want me to tell you about what happened there when you didn't care enough to even look for me at all. Daryl told you I was alive and you still left to go after some stupid nonsense cure instead of look for your family. You were just going to leave Georgia without ever knowing what happened to me. You had Glenn and your new replacement sister in Tara, you didn't need me anymore and you don't need me now" she said sadly as she wiped one of her own tears away. She felt Daryl squeeze her hand again and she softened her glare a little as she looked around the table. Her head was killing her now and she could feel it pounding all through her body. She needed to get out of there and get some air, the room suddenly feeling so small with everybody's eyes on her except for Maggie's who was sobbing into her hands. Beth turned her head to face Rick, wincing just a little as the ache in her head shot a pain down her neck. "If you decide to bring that doctor here, let me know and I will pack my stuff and go" and with that she let go of Daryl's hand and walked out onto the front porch.

* * *

Beth leaned against the rail, looking out into the street of Alexandria. She heard the door behind her open and knew instantly who it was. She felt him come and stand beside her, not touching her but close enough for her to know he was there. She watched him out of the corner of her eye pull out a pack of cigarettes and put one in his mouth. She spoke when she saw him blow a cloud of smoke and sigh.

"What did they decide?" Beth asked just above a whisper.

"What do you think? Nobody agreed, especially after what you said in there" he growled out as he took another drag of his cigarette. She could see he was thinking of asking her something, but wasn't sure how to ask. She gave him the time he needed, knowing he would get it out.

"Did the person, um the guy that attacked you. Did he...um, ya know...did he hurt you?" he mumbled, his gaze locking onto hers. She could see the anger and what looked like fear and guilt in his eyes. She smiled slightly and placed her hand on top of his where it was resting on the railing of the porch.

"He tried, but he didn't get far" she started and then took a breath before she finished "I killed him before he could get any further" she finished, hoping that the truth that she had killed people didn't make Daryl look at her differently. But when she brought her eyes back to his, she saw something different, but it wasn't hatred or horror. The guilt was still there, it probably always would be where she was concerned with the subject of her getting kidnapped but there was also something else. Something that caused those butterflies in her stomach to start flapping their wings, the pounding rivaling the pounding still going on in her head.

"Beth" he started, raising his hand to her cheek. She felt his thumb trace the scar on her cheek and she leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. She waited for him to finish his thought but as he started to talk, they were cut off by the sound of somebody calling his name from the grass. Daryl dropped his hand instantly as they saw Aaron come running up to them. He froze when he saw Beth standing there with him.

"Daryl, Beth. I am sorry to interrupt, but Nessa is having a freak out in the infirmary. She keeps asking for you. If you can't go, it's ok" he stated, looking between them both. His face looking very apologetic for interrupting what he could tell was something important. Daryl turned to look at Beth, she could tell he didn't want to leave her.

"Go, it's ok. I will be fine." she said, a small smile on her face. Yes, she wanted Daryl to stay with her, but she couldn't be selfish and if Daryl could help Nessa not be scared and start to acclimate to Alexandria, then she needed to let him go.

"Ok, I will be home tonight. Don't let Maggie get to you" he stated as he gently took her hand into his. She squeezed it reassuringly and nodded with a smile.

"Now go play hero" she said with a small chuckle. Daryl's ears turned red and he shook his head, muttering something she could barely hear that sounded like "I only want to be yours" as he took off down the sidewalk with Aaron. She watched him go with her eyes kinda wide. There was no way she had just heard him right.


	20. Chapter 20

_**I will be in the corner hiding...**_

* * *

"Hey Beth!" Carol said as she came out of the front door and walked over toward the blond that was still leaning up against the post. "Where did Daryl go?"

"Nessa was having a fit again, screaming for him. So he went to the infirmary with Aaron" Beth said, her tone sounding more angry and annoyed than she meant it too.

"Not buying it huh?" Carol asked, her eyebrow rose at Beth but a small smile playing on her lips.

"I don't know Carol" Beth said, letting out a long sigh. She wanted to talk to somebody about what she was thinking about this whole Nessa situation and Carol was really perceptive, so maybe she could help. "A part of me wants to believe her, wants to think she really is just scared and is clingy to Daryl because he saved her"

"And a part of you thinks she is lying about it all?" Carol asked, already guessing what Beth was thinking.

"Yeah, it's little things really. Like she keeps giving me these horrible, hateful looks and she constantly freaks out when Daryl tries to leave her to come to me, or like now, when she knows he is here she freaks out so he will go to her. A part of me thinks she is playing this and just wants Daryl. God I am a horrible person" Beth said as she placed her head in her hands. Carol watched the young woman, knowing almost instantly that Beth was probably right on the money about what she was thinking. Beth was really smart and perceptive; she could pick up on things faster than most people. She wanted to see this first hand, to confirm for Beth what she was thinking. She knew Daryl would never pick up on it. For being as smart as he was, and so aware of his surroundings, he could NEVER read women and would have no clue if this Nessa chick was throwing herself at him. But she didn't want to agree with Beth until she saw it for herself.

"Well let's just keep an eye out on it. You said he is at the infirmary now with her right?" Carol asked. Beth nodded in agreement as she eyed Carol.

"Ok, well let's go get something for that headache you are trying to act like you don't have" Carol continued. Beth's eyes widening at Carol for calling her out on her headache. She thought she had been hiding it well.

"Ok, let's go" Beth said, secretly happy that Carol had suggested it. She will get to see Daryl again and hopefully Carol will see what she sees and it will help her not feel so bad about hating on Nessa.

* * *

"Hey Eugene! Daryl here?" Beth asked as she and Carol walked into the front room of the infirmary. Since Rick had ended the life of that horrible doctor, Rosita and Eugene have taken over with the care of Alexandria.

"Naw, he left a little bit ago with Nessa and her sister. They are moving them into an apartment that is over the garage of Mr. Nelson" Eugene said as he smiled at both of them. Beth sighed, deflating at the fact that she didn't get to see him and that he had gone off with Nessa instead of coming back to the house.

"Ok, thanks Eugene. Do you happen to have anything you can give Beth? She has a headache." Carol asked as she wrapped her arm around Beth's shoulders in a comforting hold.

"Sure, here you go" he said as he handed her a bottle of advil. Beth looked at it for a moment like it was gold. She then took out a couple and handed the bottle back to him.

"Thank you again Eugene" Carol said as she moved Beth out of the infirmary and out onto the street. She could see the sadness in the young girls face. She was about to tell her that she would fix this for her when they both heard somebody calling Beth's name. They both smiled when they saw Eric walking up to them, a huge smile on his face.

"Hey Beth, so glad I caught up to you. I was kinda hoping you wanted to help me with something today" he asked sweetly. Beth raised her eyebrow at Carol who just shrugged and they both turned back to look at him.

"Sure, what's up?" She asked sweetly, covering over the pain of her head and heart with a smile that Carol saw instantly through.

"I am working in the garden today, and I know you used to live on a farm. I was hoping that you would like to help me. Maybe teach me some things that I don't know" he asked his tone almost hesitant.

"Sure, I would love to" Beth replied, her smile turning into a bright one now that actually reached her eyes.

"Awesome, can you come with me now?" He asked, looking between her and Carol and the infirmary that they just walked out of.

"Sure, Carol do you want to join us?" Beth asked sweetly.

"That's ok dear. I have something to look into. But you have fun" she said as she gently kissed the top of her head. "And if you start to feel worse, you come home ok" Beth nodded a yes in reply and Carol waved good-bye to both of them. She was kinda happy Eric had come around when he did. It would distract Beth and Carol had a few things she wanted to find out about this "Nessa" person.

* * *

Beth spent the day planting and tending to the flowers and loved every minute of it. Her thoughts drifted back to Daryl a lot of the time and to Nessa as well but she just pushed that aside and kept working. The feel of the dirt in her hands, working on making something grow. It reminded her of the prison, the farm and of her father. Her head had been a steady pound all day, but she worked through it. When she got home, she was hoping Daryl would already be there, because she really wanted to see him, talk to him. But the house was empty, the bed that she slept alone in the night before still made. She looked sadly at it, silently hoping that he would be there tonight like he promised and went to take a shower. As she got out of the shower, her head started pounding harder and she wished she had more of those advils that Eugene gave her earlier. She sighed as she wet a washcloth and went back into their room, lying on the bed with the rag over her eyes. She fell asleep quickly, vaguely remembering Rick, Carol and Morgan coming into her room to make sure she was ok. She barely got out that she was ok, just a headache before she would fall asleep again. She did feel the washcloth being placed back on her forehead but she had no idea which one of them did it.

She woke the next morning to Daryl's side of the bed cold; he had never come home last night. He had lied to her. The realization hit her just at the same moment that the pounding came back, harder, causing her to cry out in pain.

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_**Not everything is as it seems...that is all I will say! Please don't chase me with the pitch forks yet**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Thank you so much for all of the reviews! Because of them all, I felt inspired to continue this tonight...so hope you like it**_

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"Beth, are you ok?" Rick asked as he rushed into the room while she was still clutching her head. She shook her head no and let out a sob just as Morgan and Carol came rushing in too.

"Is it like before?' Morgan asked her as he sat down beside her on the bed. She nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"What do you mean 'like before'?" Carol asked as she gently caressed Beth's hair.

"She used to get them a lot, right after I found her they would come every couple days. When they would hit, it would be horrible for her. We would have to find a place to hold up so she could rest. They got fewer and fewer as she healed. This is the first one she has had in a little while. Probably all the stress from the past few days." Morgan said as he wrapped his arm around Beth. He knew that Beth had been through a lot, having to deal with coming back here, reuniting with her entire family, then having to deal with all of that stuff with Maggie and whatever was going on with her and Daryl, it had to have led to this headache.

"What do we need to do? How can we help?" Rick stated, he knew Daryl would want him to protect Beth, make sure she was ok if he was not there. He had no idea where his best friend was, but Beth was his family too and he would do what he had to do. He was just about to suggest that Beth lay back down when she winced in pain.

"Ok, we are going to see Rosita. They have to have something that will help her" Rick said as he scooped Beth up in his arms. She laid her head on his chest and softly cried. She hated when the pain got like this. She really wanted Daryl with her, have his arms around her instead of Ricks.

"Morgan, can you stay with Judith? Carol and I will take Beth" Rick asked, his friend nodding in agreement and then kissing Beth on the forehead softly.

"You feel better Sunshine" he murmured into her hair. Beth nodded and leaned back into Rick's chest.

"Where is Daryl?" She asked softly through the pain as they walked out the door and down the porch steps.

"I'm not sure, I haven't' seen him since yesterday. I will send somebody to find him" Rick said as they turned to walk down the street. The light outside was blinding to Beth, but she was able to make out a figure walking down the street.

"Ask her Carol. That's Nessa" Beth whispered to Carol from Rick's arms. Carol looked up just in time to see Nessa get a glimpse of Beth in Rick's arms. She seemed to have a smirk on her face that turned into a look of concern when she saw Carol looking at her.

"What's wrong? Is she ok?" She asked, Carol seeing right through her fake concern. She figured she was going to catch her now.

"Have you seen Daryl?" Carol asked, seeing the smile come across Nessa's face at the mention of the archer.

"Not in the past few hours, why?" Nessa asked, a small smirk flashing across her lips when she heard Beth sigh and wince again in pain.

"Please find him, tell him to come to the infirmary, that Beth needs him" Carol asked, her voice demanding but with a sweet smile still on her face. Nessa nodded in agreement and Carol watched as the girl started slightly jogging down the street. Carol shook her head at her, wondering if Daryl would show up or if he would never get the message. Whichever way this worked out would determine how Carol delt with her. She turned back around and gently stroked Beth's face, the young girl wincing again as Rick and Carol took off with her to the infirmary.

* * *

"Ok Beth, I am going to give you a few pain pills. They will make you very sleepy and a little loopy, but you should wake up feeling much better. I will give another one to Rick but you should only take one every 8 hours or so. "Rosita said as she handed Rick the pills.

"Thank you Ros..." Beth started but stopped when the door to the room flung open. For a second Beth hoped that it was Daryl, but her face dropped when she saw that it was Nessa. She leaned into Rick a little as Nessa turned to face Carol.

"I found Daryl and told him. He said that he was busy and couldn't come" Nessa said, a hint of smugness in her voice. Beth gasped and hid her face, not able to fight the tears anymore. What Nessa just said didn't sound like Daryl, but her head hurt too much right now to think differently and her heart was hurting just as much now. Rick and Carol on the other hand glanced at each other, both knowing good and well Daryl would never say that. Even if it wasn't Beth in that room, Daryl would come if it was any of the family, but this was Beth. He would be right here, growling at everybody until they made her better. Something was not right.

"Ok, thank you Nessa" Carol stated calmly as the girl turned, throwing a little smirk toward Beth and going out the door. Carol's narrowed eyes following her the entire time. She nodded at Rick and kissed the top of Beth's head.

"You take that pill and rest. Rick will get you home. I have something I have to take care of" Carol said softly, but her voice was full of steel. Beth took the pill from Rick and swallowed it, nodding at Carol. Carol smiled at her and then turned and walked out the door, on a mission to find a certain archer.

* * *

"Daryl" Carol called as she caught up to him climbing down the wall. He looked exhausted, but raised his eyebrow at her when she ran up to him.

"What the hell are you doing, Daryl?" She asked, her voice stone cold, her eyes narrow. She knew, knew that Nessa was lying, but seeing Beth as hurt as she was still made her angry.

"What do you mean, I'm goin' home. What does it look like?" He growled out, exhaustion taking over his body.

"Why didn't you come when Nessa came to find you?" She asked, her eyes still narrow.

"What do you mean? I haven't seen Nessa since yesterday mornin'. "He growled out again. He was so tired, and all he wanted to do was get home and crawl into bed. He hoped Beth would be around. He saw Carol nod, like she was understanding something and then she looked back at him.

"You need to get to the infirmary Pookie, its Beth" she said, instantly seeing the change in Daryl.

"What the hell you talkin' about? What's wrong with Beth? Is she ok?" Daryl growled out, worry and concern taking over all of his features.

"She has had a headache since she had that appointment with Pete. She has been trying to fight it off, but last night it got bad and this morning it was even worse. She is at the infirmary now with Rick...ya would have known that if..." before she got a chance to finish he had turned and took off at full speed toward the building. Carol watched him go with a small smile. "Ok, that's one down" she mumbled to herself. "Now, onto Nessa" she finished, her voice low and menacing.

* * *

Daryl ran and ran, he didn't acknowledge anybody as he passed them, he just kept running. The exhaustion he was feeling completely gone at just the mention of something being wrong with Beth. His lungs burned like crazy, and as he just started to cuss the cigarettes he had smoked in his life, he saw Rick carrying Beth in his arms as they started up the sidewalk to their house.

"Beth" he cried out as he ran up to them. He could see her in Rick's arms, flashbacks of him carrying Beth out of that hospital ran through his head as he got to them. He shook those out of his head when he got in front of them and looked down at her.

"Beth, are you ok?" He asked softly, taking his hand and gently stroking her hair. She mumbled a little and turned to look at him, her eyes narrowing when she saw him.

"Thought you were too busy to come?" She mumbled out, her voice a mixture of anger and sadness and her head rolling around from the effect of the pill Rosita gave her.

"What ya' talkin' about girl? Carol just told me. I didn't know" he said as he looked from her to Rick, wanting some kinda answers. "Here, let me take you Beth" he asked as he moved toward her. She recoiled from him, making him pause mid step.

"Don't touch me, not after you touched her" she slurred out. Daryl looked at her, confusion all over his face.

"Let me take her upstairs and I will explain" Rick whispered, taking sympathy on his best friend. He was standing there, looking so lost, so concerned but he nodded at Rick and followed his friend as he took the most important thing in his world up the stairs to their room. He had no idea why Beth was so upset with him, but he wanted to make it right. After a few moments, Rick came back down and motioned for him to come into the kitchen.

"So what's wrong with her?" Daryl asked, pacing back and forth across the kitchen.

"She gets the headaches sometimes, according to Morgan. They used to happen a lot right after the gunshot. They have been happening less and less and Morgan seems to think all the stress of the last few days led to this one. She was in pain last night but it was nothing like this morning. She was crying out for you. Where were you by the way?" Rick asked, his eyes narrowed just a little. Daryl had stopped pacing when he heard that Beth had been crying for him and then looked at Rick with a raised eyebrow when he asked where he was.

"I was working the wall. After I left the infirmary yesterday, I was stopped by Abraham. He needed some help wit' one of the construction sites, so I helped 'em carry a few loads. Then I came home but nobody was 'ere, so I took a nap on the couch. I went out after to try to find Beth and that's when the south wall was in danger from a small herd. I spent the rest of the afternoon killin' walkers. Then they were one man short for watch duty and they stopped me when I was on my way home. I had been on the wall until Carol found me just a little bit ago. I had seen Nessa while I was on the wall and asked her to tell Beth that I wouldn't be home last night, she didn't tell 'er?" Daryl asked, his face and voice full of concern and worry and now anger.

"This Nessa seems to have an issue with Beth. She was outside when Carol and I left to take Beth to the infirmary and Carol asked her to go and find you, let you know. She came back to the infirmary to let us know that you said you couldn't come, that you were too busy to be bothered. Daryl, I will tell you honestly, I think that hurt Beth the most. She said something this morning about you lying to her yesterday. And then you not coming home for two nights, Nessa acting this morning like she had just seen you and then for Nessa to tell her you said that, and on top of everything that happened with Maggie and on top of all of that to have a splitting headache, that is why Beth acted the way she did outside." Rick stated, seeing instantly his friends mood change.

"What do I do Rick? How do I fix this?" Daryl asked, he never even cared about anybody even close to what he felt for Beth and it was killing him to know that he had hurt her, inadvertent or not.

"Go up there, talk to her. Lori used to always say I didn't talk enough. You got a second chance Brother, take it" Rick said, clasping Daryl on the shoulder as he walked by and got a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with water. "Here take this up to her. Rosita said that the pills they have her on with make her thirsty, so when she wakes up she will want it" he added as he handed the water to him.

"So she is ok?" Daryl asked, his voice low and soft. Rick smiled at him and nodded

"Yes, she is fine. The pill will help her sleep but she is going to be fine. Now go" Rick ordered, Daryl nodding and taking off up the stairs, two at a time.

* * *

He entered their room slowly, the room dark and quiet. He could see Beth lying under the covers, softly sleeping. He crept over and sat the water down on the table, gently picking up the chair that was over by the window to beside the bed. He took her hand in his, gently caressing it as he whispered to her...

"I'm so sorry for all of this Beth, so sorry. You are my girl and I will never leave you again"

* * *

_**Ok, so there you have it. Daryl was not actually doing anything with Nessa. He will get more into it with Beth when she wakes up but he is gunna be right there with her from now on. ** _


	22. Chapter 22

Beth slowly broke through the fog of her brain, softly sighing as she blinked her eyes into the quiet, dark room. She went to move her hand to rub her eyes and realized that it was braced into something hard, hard and calloused. She turned her head slowly, the remenants of her headache still lingering but nowhere near as bad as it had been. When she did, she saw what had rendered her hand unmovable. Daryl's hands had enveloped her hand and he had laid his head on top of them. His eyes were shut and he was breathing heavily as he mumbled in his sleep. She thought she heard him mumble her name but she had to be mistaken. She squinted at him for a moment, the fading sunlight outside casting shadows in the room, but she could still make out the bags under his eyes. She watched him for a few moments, how peaceful he looked but also exhausted.

She was still so angry at him. Was angry the right word? Maybe it was mad? Naw didn't sound right either….she was upset. Yeah, she was upset and hurt by Daryl Dixon! Why was he here now when he was too busy to come earlier? There was a part of her, the part that knew Daryl Dixon, knew his heart, that part told her that there was no way he said the things that Nessa said he did at the infirmary. But the upset and hurt part of her didn't want to acknowledge that other, more logical part. But if she was honest with herself, she was more upset about Nessa saying that she had just seen him, meaning he had been with her again the night before. Even though her head had been pounding, she felt her heart break in two when she heard the girl say that. He had told her that he would be home that night with her, but he wasn't. So she asked herself the question again, why was he here now? Holding her hand like he cherished her? Yes, upset and hurt were the right words for her emotions….along with now confused.

But despite everything, she still cared about him, cared about his well-being. Of course she did. So she slowly took her other hand and gently ran it through his hair.

"Daryl" she whispered, trying to gently bring him out of his sleep as she continued to stroke his hair. Even though it was a little greasy, it was still so soft. 'No Beth! No! You cannot think his hair is soft right now! You are still upset with him' she scolded herself. After a moment, his eyes started to flutter open and those blue, beautiful eyes landed on her. For a moment they looked happy, and then they turned to worry.

"Beth, are you a'right? How are ya feelin'? He asked as he sat up and scooted himself closer to her, squeezing her still trapped hand in between his. "Carol said you had a real bad headache and Rick told me Rosita gave ya somethin' ta help"

"Daryl" she said softly, but he just kept on talking

"Ya need more? I can get ya more. Here, they said you'd be thirsty, so I will grab the water from the table for you"

"Daryl" she tried again, this time a little stronger. She didn't want to get too loud because of her headache but he still acted like he didn't hear her.

"Here, drink this. It should help with yer head too. You need to stay hydrated. Those pills will make ya sleepy too. Are you still tired? Do you need anythang else?"

"Daryl, stop!" She said louder, this time making her head wince just a little. She hissed at the pain and brought her free hand up to her head. Daryl froze at the sound and she saw him sit the glass of water down as he reached up to touch her face. She moved out of his touch, and he slowly moved his hand back down to the bed. When she finally was able to focus her eyes back onto his, she saw the emotion flooding in them.

"Why are you here, Daryl?" she bit out a little more harshly then she had meant too. She saw him stiffen at her words, like she had struck him.

"Because you were sick. I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else" he said softly as he looked down at his hands that were still holding her one.

"Yeah, I'm sure" she breathed out, shaking her head and turning it away from him as an escaping tear ran down her cheek.

"It's the truth Beth!" He said, his voice getting more rough. "Carol told me what Nessa said to ya at the infirmary. I tell ya honest Girl, I didn't know anythin' about you bein' sick or I woulda been there" he said as he gently stroked her hand in his. She had to breath for a moment, the feel of his hand, his fingers gently caressing hers was making those butterflies start up again. Those traitorous butterflies who thought it was funny to start up when she was still upset.

"You woulda known if you had been here the night before, instead of being with her" she whispered, afraid if she spoke louder, he would be able to hear the hitch in her voice as more tears ran down her cheeks.

"Beth" he breathed out, taking her face into his hands and turning it to face him. As he held her there, he wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "I wasn't at 'er place! She lied bout that too! I haven't see her since yesterday mornin'. I don't know what she is playin' at, but it's gunna end." He said as he looked into her eyes. She felt like she could fly, probably all of those dang butterflies in her stomach. He had just told her that he wasn't with that evil woman. She couldn't help the small smile that broke across her face.

"You were not with her?" She whispered as she felt his thumbs start rubbing her cheeks again. When his eyes locked back on hers, she gasped just a little at the sight. There was fierceness in them, mixed with something she was not sure she knew.

"No! After I left 'er yesterday morning at the infirmary, I helped Abe with one of the sites. Then I came here, and ended up crashing on the couch. You were not here" he explained and which she nodded her head in agreement too.

"I was helping Eric in the garden" she added, a small smile gracing both of their lips.

"Then I had ta help with a small herd that came through, and then after I was done that they needed somebody to take watch an' I just happened to have the bad luck of walkin' by right then" he stated with a grunt. She giggled a little, couldn't help herself and his lips turned into a smirk, before his entire face went sincere again. He pulled her face closer to his, his eyes gazing all over it.

"I swear ta ya Beth; I didn't mean to break my promise about comin' home! I had asked Nessa to come 'ere and tell ya but from what Carol and Rick told me she didn't do tha'" he growled out. Beth shook her head and placed her hands over his.

"She told me that she had just seen you, made it out like you had been there the whole night. And then when she came back to the infirmary she said that you were too busy and didn't care that I was there" she explained sadly, another tear escaped. He leaned over just a little, wiped the tear away with his thumb and looked her in the eyes again as he spoke.

"I'm so sorry Beth! There is no place I would rather be than right here wit' ya, right beside ya! As soon as Carol told me you were sick, I took off. There is nothin' more important to me than you Beth" he said just above a whisper as he slowly leaned forward, and then gently brushed his lips over hers. Beth couldn't help but let out a little gasp at the contact, but as she felt him starting to pull away, she pressed her lips more firmly against his. The kiss was chaste and as they pulled apart, Beth saw the tips of his ears were red and he had a nervous look on his face. His gaze looking at nothing but her. She had never been looked at, or kissed like that before. Yes it was soft and sweet but it was still the most amazing kiss she had ever experienced. All of the butterflies in her stomach felt like they were taking an extreme tap class.

"Daryl" she breathed out as a slow smile spread across her face. His eyes instantly darkened and as he leaned into her again she couldn't help herself but let out a yawn, and then giggled right after. He smiled at her and brushed some of her hair out of her face.

"You should sleep a little more, here drink some of this" he said as he handed her the water. She took a few gulps and sat it back down. "Do you think you need another pill?" he asked. She thought the pain was bearable, but didn't want to risk it getting worse again so she nodded yes as she continued to watch him. She did love him in protective mode, he was so sweet, so nurturing. And who would believe it if you told them? He was the best out of all of them and she hated herself for even doubting him. He handed her the pill and she took it with another gulp of water and then laid back down on the bed. He tucked the blanket up to her neck and started to get comfortable in the chair again, but she reached her hand out, tangling her fingers with his causing him to look back up at her.

"Sleep beside me please? Can you just hold me?" She asked softly. He saw him swallow as he scanned her face for something. After a moment he nodded, tugged his shoes and vest off and then crawled into the bed beside of her. In an instant she turned and curled herself around him, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped both arms around her, both of them sighing at the feel of being back in each other's arms.

"What are we gunna do 'bout Nessa?" Daryl asked, just above a whisper into her hair that had fanned out all down her back.

"We might not have to do anything. I think Carol went after her" Beth said sleepily as she gently glided her finger over his chest.

"Might not be anythin' left of 'er after that" Daryl said with a gruff chuckle. Beth smiled and kissed his chest as she nuzzled into him more.

"Well if there is, she is gunna pray that you left her out on that road with the walkers" Beth stated, her voice firm and fierce. Daryl nodded and kissed her head.

"That's my girl" he mumbled as they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Carol walked up the stairs to the small apartment. She had seen the sister leave just a little bit ago and knew that her target was alone upstairs. As she knocked, she pulled her flower sweater down neatly and plastered a huge smile on her face as the door opened.

"Hi Nessa, can I come in for a second?" she asked sweetly. As Nessa nodded with a smirk, and turned to head back to the kitchen Carol had to smile. Girl didn't think of her as a threat and that was how she liked it.

"Ya want a drink or something Carol?" Nessa asked, her back to her as she looked through the fridge. In an intant Carol had her knife out and held it to Nessa's throat from behind, her arm wrapped around her, holding her still.

"Or something" Carol growled as she held the knife a little closer, hearing the girl wince. "We are going to have a little chat about two of my favorite people in this world, Daryl and Beth"

* * *

**_Hope you liked it...Daryl explaining everything, their first kiss and Carol finding Nessa_**


	23. Chapter 23

_**Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out...life has been crazy. Also sorry for the lack of Daryl &amp; Beth in this chapter...but don't worry they will be back in full force in the next one. Now...enjoy a little Carol being Queen!**_

* * *

"What the hell are you doing, Carol? Are you crazy?" Nessa cried out, dropping the bottle of beer she had grabbed out of the fridge as Carol held the knife to her throat.

"Yeah, I have been called that from time to time" Carol laughed as she tightened her grip on the girl. "Like I said, we are going to have a nice discussion about you messing with Beth and Daryl"

"I'm not messing with either one. It's not my fault Daryl wants me more than her! He told me so himself, that he feels like he owes her. But he wants me, not her" Nessa said, her voice and face showing no emotion. Carol smiled, this chick obviously knew nothing about her, Daryl, Beth or his relationship with either woman.

"I see it as this" Carol started with a chuckle "You saw an attractive man that happened to save you from a walker and you decided that you were going to try to get him, no matter who you hurt. I don't blame you for wanting Daryl, he is brave, strong, and protective and hot" she said, pausing just a moment when Nessa interrupted

"And he wants me!" she stated firmly

"No he doesn't, little girl" Carol sneered, pressing the knife tip into her neck just a little, causing her to wince. "You know nothing about Daryl. Bet you had no idea that he is my best friend, and that we have been through more than you could even imagine. I know that man better than most people. That's how I knew you were lying as soon as I saw you this morning. There is one thing that Daryl wants in this world, one thing that Daryl treasures and worships, and that is Beth Greene, not you" Carol growled out as she let go of Nessa and pushed her away from her, still holding the knife on her, but now facing her.

"I know all about what you do, had a nice discussion with your sister this afternoon after all of the lies you told this morning went down. You see, she actually wants to make this place work, doesn't want to get kicked out because of you. She told me that you do this in every group you meet, you pick out the strongest guy around and cling to him and his need to protect. And it has worked for you in the past, but I'm sorry honey, but you picked the wrong guy this time" she said again with a calm chuckle. She saw the worry flash across Nessa's eyes at being found out and then they went back to being hard.

"You are wrong! He wouldn't want somebody like her. She is weak! She had to be carried to the infirmary for a headache. Daryl deserves better than somebody like that. And you don't have the power to kick us out" She spat out, causing Carol to laugh again. This chick really did know nothing about Beth, Daryl or any of them.

"Oh honey, I could get anybody kicked out. And even if I didn't, Daryl is pissed off now too that he knows what you were doing. Did you know that he is Rick's right hand, they are like brothers? Rick also adores Beth might not like them getting hurt and kick you out just on principle alone." she told the girl, her anger showing as she continued " And Beth had a headache because she was shot in the fucking head and survived. You have the nerve to call her weak when you cling to every man you can find to protect you. She has survived more than you could even imagine. That girl is braver, stronger and just better than you in every way" Carol sneered and then pushed the knife closer to Nessa's throat, causing the girl to freeze. "You will leave them both be. Move on to another guy. Daryl doesn't want you, and I am sure by now you know that. Find somebody that isn't in love with someone already. Don't come anywhere near either of them or any of the other guys in my group" she ordered, her voice even and commanding. She didn't even want this crazy chick around Eugene.

"And what if I don't?" Nessa asked. Carol recognized it as what it was, Nessa's last chance to try to gain any ground.

"You keep messing with Beth and Daryl's life, you hurt them in anyway more than you already have and I will kill you" she stated firmly

"You wouldn't dare. You are not that kind of person" Nessa stated, her voice shaky

"Yeah I am. I would do anything to protect my family. And just think about it for a moment. You have made everybody in this place think that you are crazy and flipping out about everything" she calmly said, then raised her knife a little higher toward the girl. "I could say it was self-defense. You went crazy and I had too. Everybody would believe me, no real questions asked" Carol smiling a little brighter when she saw the recognition in Nessa's eyes at what could happen appeared. The girl swallowed in front of her and nodded in understanding.

"Ok good. I'm glad we could come to an understanding" Carol said as she lowered her knife and placed it in its sheath on her belt. She turned and walked to the door, only pausing to turn and look at Nessa one last time "It's always a pleasure Nessa" she said cheerfully as she opened the door and walked out, laughing to herself as she went.

* * *

Rick walked up to Beth and Daryl's room when dinner was ready downstairs. He had not heard anything from either one since Daryl had gone up after her earlier in the day. He knew that Beth was probably still sleeping, but he wanted to see if his best friend wanted to eat anything for dinner. When his soft knock was not answered, he softly turned the knob of the door and smiled at the sight before him. Daryl was laying on the bed, his arms wrapped around Beth as she cuddled up beside of him. Both of them looked peaceful and content. He closed the door back, not wanting to wake either one, and then proceeded to quietly go back downstairs. Michonne, Morgan and Carl raised their eyes at him as he entered back into the room.

"How's Beth?" Carl asked, his voice shaky. Rick had filled him in on what had happened when he had gotten home from school. He had wanted to leave some of it out of the story but knew how gossip worked in a small town and that was more or less what this place was. But the main reason he explained it all to Carl was when he saw how angry the young man got when Rick told him about Beth's headache and how the situation happened. Rick swore that he had only ever seen his son that angry a few times in his life. Carl had gotten up off of the couch, going to find Daryl and do whatever his 15 year old self thought was just in hurting Beth, so Rick stopped him and filled him in on everything.

"She is sleeping, they both are. I didn't want to wake them, so we will just put some stuff back for them" he said quietly as he sat down at one of the chairs at the table.

"They have been through a lot, not just in the past few days." Michonne said solemnly, all of the people at the table nodding in understanding.

"They will be fine. Beth is strong and smart and she loves Daryl. I figured that out during our first conversation about him while she was still recovering" Morgan said with a smile.

"Yeah and he loves her too. I had never seen him that upset, not even with Merle" Carl said, Rick looking over at him and nodding in agreement. He was still stunned that his son had grown up into such a fine, understanding, compassionate young man, especially during the apocalypse. They were broken out of their thoughts by the sound of the front door opening. Rick stood, looking around the corner to see Carol coming in.

"So, how did everything go?" Rick asked as she walked into the kitchen. Everybody at the table knew what she had gone to do, and all of them were in total agreement with her.

"It went just fine. There should be no other problems" Carol said as she sat down and took a plate. Rick nodded as he sat back down and looked over the little group. There would be no other problems, not if he could help it. If Carol's threats didn't work, he would take care of it himself. Nobody messes with his family.


	24. Chapter 24

"NO" Beth screamed as she jerked herself out of her dream and sat up in the barely lit room. Daryl's eyes flashed open the instant she screamed and sat up beside her, gently running his hand up and down her back as she tried to get her breathing under control.

"You ok?" he asked her softly as he took in what little of her face he could see from the dim light coming in from outside. She gave him a soft smile and nodded, but he could still see the fear shining in her eyes, along with some unshed tears. "You wanna talk about it?"

"It was nothing, just a bad dream is all" she replied as she fiddled with the frayed ends of the blanket in her hands, turning her head away from him to wipe a stray tear from her cheeks.

"You can tell me if ya want" he said as he placed his hand on one of hers, stilling her fiddling for a moment.

"It's silly, really" she replied, a hint of embarrassment in her voice. Now he was a little intrigued as well as worried about her.

"Can't be that silly if it's got ya wipin' tears away and screamin' no" he replied as he ran his thumb over her hand. She sighed and intertwined his fingers with hers as she turned to look at him.

"I dreamed that last night didn't happen. You came back, yes. But you came back to tell me that you didn't have any use for me anymore. That you were tired already of having me around and that you wanted to be with Nessa. How much prettier and better than me she was. See, I told you it was silly" she said sheepishly, but still wiping a tear away as she spoke. Daryl just sat there for a moment looking at her, the words that he wanted to say not forming in his mouth. He wanted to tell her how crazy she was! How he could never look at another woman because she was all he ever saw, even before she came back into his life. How nobody would ever compare to her and how she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. All of those things he wanted to tell her, but didn't think he had the right too yet.

"It was just a dream, and can't really blame ya for dreamin' it after the last few days, but just know that I'm not goin' nowhere. I'm gunna be right 'ere beside ya" he said just above a whisper as he placed his hand on the side of her cheek. She leaned into his hand and smiled softly at him. "You are just so pretty, Beth" he whispered out to her as he ran his thumb over her cheek. It might have been one of those things he wasn't sure if he should say, but he was glad he did because her smile got brighter and she leaned over slowly and gently placed her lips on his. The kiss was soft again, like the one the night before, soft and gentle. As they pulled apart, he could not help the small smile that came to his lips as well.

"I'm gunna be right beside you too Daryl Dixon." She said sweetly as she ran her hand through his hair. He closed his eyes at the feel of her hands and let out a sigh as his stomach started to growl. Beth let out a giggle at the sound and then when her stomach followed, she grabbed his hand firmly. "Let's go and see if there is anything left to eat. Looks like we have about an hour or so before everybody gets up" she said as she started to get out of the bed. He pulled her hand back, causing her to fall into his solid body. When she looked up at him, her eyes wide and twinkling, he leaned over and gently kissed her again. As he ran his hand up her neck and into her hair, he trailed his tongue across her lips, asking for entrance. When Beth opened her mouth and their tongues met, she moaned out, causing Daryl to growl in reply as he pulled her closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and started playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, causing a shiver to run through him at the feel. He still could not believe that he was kissing Beth, that she was letting him kiss him. But the quiet moans coming from the beautiful blond brought him back to the reality that she was, in fact, liking him kissing her. They finally broke apart again when Beth's stomach growled loudly.

"Ok, come on Greene, let's get you somethin' to eat. Don't need ya gettin' sick again" he growled out as he took her hand in his and led her toward the door of their room.

"How are you feeling Beth?" Rick asked as Daryl and Beth entered the kitchen. They were both surprised to see Rick up already, and Deanna sitting at the table with him. It couldn't have been any earlier than 7am by Daryl's estimation.

"I'm feeling a lot better, thanks so much for everything you did for me Rick" she replied sweetly as she went over and placed a soft kiss on the sherrif's cheek. He smiled back at her and then nodded at Daryl.

"We were just discussing the security of the zone, so I'm glad you both are up" Rick continued as Beth grabbed an two apples from the table, handing one to Daryl. He could have sworn he saw her cheek's blush pink when their fingers brushed each others.

"You want my help?" Beth asked, her tone not masking her bewilderment.

"Of course. You have been out there, just recently" Rick started, not missing the growl coming from Daryl when he mentioned how Beth had been out there just recently. "Your knowledge of the outside will help all of us. You and Morgan will both be assests, just like Daryl and everybody else"

"I couldn't agree more. I would love to hear both of your opinions on how to make this place safer" Deanna added as she smiled slightly at Beth. Beth could see the sadness still in the older woman's eyes and her heart broke for her. Before Beth had a chance to give her condolenses, something she was silently hitting herself for, Deanna spoke again. "Before we get into that though…"she said as she steeled her emotions "I still want to have your welcome party. With everything that happened, it was not the right time, but I think we should still have it. Would you be ok with having it tonight? At my house?" she asked the young blond.

"You don't have to do that Deanna! With everything that has happened, you shouldn't have to go to that kind of trouble for just me" Beth answered sweetly. She really didn't want Deanna to put herself out, not with everything else she had going on. She was dealing with all of her loss and still had to run this zone.

"I want too Beth. It will be something fun to plan and it would make me so happy if I could do this for you" she replied as she took Beth's hand in hers. Beth looked up at Daryl, who was leaning up against the wall. He shrugged at her raised eyebrow, more or less saying that it was up to her. And really, how could she refuse the woman a little bit of happiness. If planning her a party would help her, then sure.

"Ok, sounds good to me then" she replied with a smile. Deanna smiled back at her and took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"Good, now let's get onto some safety planning" Deanna continued, going right back into head of the zone mode. Beth felt the chair beside of her move and smiled as Daryl sat down beside her, taking her free hand and holding it tightly under the table. She sighed a little at the feel and then focused on the map laid out in front of her.


	25. Chapter 25

Ok, it's confrontation time people...and we are gunna have us a little party!

* * *

The rest of the day went by in a blur for Beth and before she knew it she was standing in front of the full length mirror that was in the room that Michonne used, fixing the dress that Rosita had thrown her from her own stack of stuff, saying it would look better on her anyway. Beth had to admit that the black sundress fit her perfectly and it went great with her cowboy boots. She twirled one loose girl around her finger and let it go just as she heard a knock on the door frame of the room. She twirled around to see Daryl standing there, the look on his face making her freeze in place. His eyes turned a dark blue before her own eyes as he ran his gaze up and down her.

"Do I look ok?" She asked self-consciously as she ran her hand down the dress, her other hand going to the scar on her cheek.

"Yer beautiful" he breathed out, causing her to flash her eyes back up at him just as his neck turned red and he looked down at his boots. When she looked at him, she finally took in his appearance and he looked amazing as well. He had on a pair of black jeans, a black long sleeved shirt and his leather vest. She still could not believe a man as unbelievably sexy as him would want a girl like her, but she shook those thoughts out of her head as she smiled brightly and walked over to him, his eyes now following her like a hawk.

"You look beautiful too….. I mean handsome. You look so handsome" she said with a giggle, causing a smirk to form on his lips as well.

"Ya ready?" He asked a hint of shyness still in his gravelly voice.

"Yup, let me just get my jacket" she said with a smile as she walked over to the bed and picked it up. He came over instantly and took it from her, and started to help her put it on, stopping when he saw what was on the back of it.

"What?" She asked when he stopped moving. She could still feel him behind her, but he was just holding up her zipper hoodie, looking at it.

"Where did you get this?" He asked just above a whisper, causing her to smile when she realized he saw the studded angel wings on the back.

"Found it in the commissary when Rosita and I went the last time. I saw it and just had to have it, made me think of you" she said softly. She heard him make a noise behind her and he gently slipped her arms into her jacket, placing his hands on her shoulders when he was done. She smiled and placed her hands on top of his, then turned around to face him. His eyes were shining brightly at her, holding so much emotion in them that it took Beth's breath from her. Before she could right herself and say anything, he leaned down and claimed her lips with his. The kiss was soft and sweet as he gently ran his hands up and down her arms. As he pulled away, he smiled slightly down at her.

"The wings look better on you"

* * *

The party was already in full swing when they arrived. As soon as they had walked in, Beth's eyes landed on Maggie's across the room. She had not seen her sister since that morning when they had their blow up. She felt bad, but she was still so angry with Maggie, and didn't know where to start to forgive her sister just yet. She knew she would, life was too short and they were the only blood family they had left but right now it was still to raw, and on top of everything else that had happened the past few days, dealing with her sister was at the bottom of the list. She pulled her gaze away from Maggie to wave at Rosita, who was standing off to the side with Abraham in front of a table that had an assortment of drinks on it.

"Looks like Abe found the beer table" Beth said with a chuckle as Daryl looked over to see the duo as well as Rick walked up to them, carrying the prettiest little girl ever in his arms.

"Hey Beth, Daryl" Rick said as Judith stretched her arms out to grab Beth. She smiled and pulled the pretty girl into her arms. Daryl watched them both, a sense of peace growing in his chest. This was how it should be, Beth back with them, holding Judith, standing beside of him.

"Da" Judith said happily as Daryl ran his hand down her hair, smacking her lips toward him. He leaned in and she placed a baby kiss on his cheek. He could feel the tips of his ears burning, but there was nothing he would not do for the little girl, or the beautiful blond that was holding her.

"Ima go get a drink, ya want anythin'?" He asked Beth as she kissed Judith's fingers as the little girl giggled at the faces Rick was making at her.

"Whatever they have is fine" she said sweetly as she touched his hand. He smiled down at her and then looked up to meet Rick's eyes; giving him the silent request to make sure nobody messed with her. Rick nodded just once, answering his request.

When he made it over to the table, he grabbed a beer and took a swig as he turned back around and watched Beth and Judith mess with Carl and Rick, the younger Grimes man also partaking in the making faces at Judith game. He smiled slightly as he watched them, his smile fading into an instant sneer when he heard a voice behind him.

"Well aren't they a cozy family. Looks like your odd man out"

Daryl rolled his eyes, knowing who was behind him and not really wanting to have the confrontation in the middle of a party for Beth. But honestly, why would the bitch even be here? Maybe she thought she had won, maybe Carol had not found here. He instantly vetoed that thought, he knew good and well that if Carol was out to find her, she would have already. So this stupid broad must have a death wish, because after what she tried pulling with Beth and him, the fact that Beth thought he had abandoned her and then woke up this morning from a nightmare about the same thing, all because this girl wanted something she couldn't have….she was damn lucky he didn't hit women.

"What, can't speak now?" She asked, the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Best get away from me if ya know what's good for ya girl" he growled out lowly, but he knew she heard him.

"Now why would I do something like that? We have been having fun" she sneered as she walked around to face him, the twinkle in her eyes instantly falling away when she locked onto his steal ones. He could imagine the look he had right now. If it was anything like how he felt inside for this woman, it was nothing but pure rage and hatred.

"You got some damn nerve showin' up 'ere after how you treated Beth." Daryl growled at her, seeing her tense for just a second and then the wall coming back up but it was just enough for him to know she was scared.

"I didn't do anything to your precious Beth…I was just try…."

"Stop! Just shut yer damn mouth! "He spit out, his temper rising higher, but he still kept his voice low. He was not going to be the one that ruined Beth's party. "I knew girls like ya. Think ya can get anythin' ya want by throwin' yerself at a man. Short skirts" he spat angrily as he looked down at her too short skirt "low cut tops and tons of make-up. Ya all are the same. No good, low rent and cheap. Girls like ya need a man to survive, cuz you don't have enough brains to make it on yer own. See that's the difference between you and Beth"

"I'm more of a woman then princess…."

"Did I say I was finished?" He growled out, Nessa instantly closing her mouth and narrowing her eyes at him, but he could see the fear growing, and that fed his anger. It made him remember how scared and worried Beth had been. How she clung to Rick that day coming from the doctors and recoiled from him. "Beth Greene is more of a woman than you could ever be! That woman over there, she is strong, brave, smart, honest, loving, giving and a better person than trash like you could ever be. Did you honestly think that you could worm your way between me and her? Beth means more to me than anythin' else in this world! I would die for her and I would kill anybody that would hurt her, and I mean anybody" he growled out, his eyes locking on hers so she could see that he was serious. He saw her flinch at his tone and swallow before she answered.

"You wouldn't kill a woman" she said softly. He felt his lips turn into a nasty smirk as he leaned over and whispered in her ear

"I might now knowingly, but it's hard when you get out in those woods and there are tons of walkers around, things start to get confusing and accidents happen. You wouldn't want to mess with Beth, or anybody else I care about again cuz ya might just find yerself out in the woods one morning when you wake up. We clear?" He growled out, his teeth grinding together in anger.

"We are clear" she whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Good, now get the hell outta 'ere. Nobody wants ya at this party" he ordered as he turned and walked away from her. When he did, his eyes locked onto Beth's. He could see the anger in hers as she narrowed her eyes at Nessa's retreating form and he could tell the instant that she saw the anger in his as well as she reached her hand out toward him, like a beacon guiding him home.

* * *

"Beth, a little birdie told me that you sing. Would you sing something for us?" Deanna asked as she walked over to Beth and Daryl. Beth had not removed her arm from around Daryl's waist since he got back from his altercation with Nessa, but he didn't seem to mind at all. She wanted to ground him, let him know she was not going anywhere.

"Um, I don't know" she said softly, looking around at the group around her. Her eyes locked onto Daryl's last and he smiled softly at her and then whispered in her ear.

"Sing somethin' Beth"

She took a breath and then nodded toward Deanna. She slowly removed her arm from around Daryl as he gave her a sweet smile and walked toward the beautiful piano that was in the back of the room.

"Everybody, we have a treat. Beth has graciously accepted my pleading for her to sing, so everybody, Beth Greene" she said sweetly as she started clapping and moved out of Beth's way as she sat down at the piano. She ran her fingers slightly over the keys as she took a breath. When she looked back up, her eyes instantly locked onto Daryl's and she knew then what she was going to sing.

Her fingers started moving as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

**_I found myself dreaming  
In silver and gold  
Like a scene from a movie  
That every broken heart knows we were walking on moonlight  
And you pulled me close  
Split second and you disappeared and then I was all alone_**

**_I woke up in tears  
With you by my side  
A breath of relief  
And I realized  
No, we're not promised tomorrow_**

She took a breath as she prepared herself to sing the next verse….her eyes locked back onto Daryl's, the memory of her nightmare and that morning still fresh in her head and she had to smile at the look in his eyes and knew it was ok for her to keep singing this…..he needed to know how she felt…

**_So I'm gonna love you  
Like I'm gonna lose you  
I'm gonna hold you  
Like I'm saying goodbye wherever we're standing  
I won't take you for granted 'cause we'll never know when  
When we'll run out of time so I'm gonna love you  
Like I'm gonna lose you  
I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_**

Beth could feel the tears forming in her eyes as she sang, she knew the words were true. She was going to love him and hold him like she could lose him tomorrow. None of them were promised tomorrow. She and Daryl had been given a second chance and she wasn't going to waste it on insignificant people like Nessa. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to keep singing when she felt the seat beside her press in more and Aaron's voice breaking out for the next verse

**_In the blink of an eye  
Just a whisper of smoke  
You could lose everything  
The truth is you never know_**

**_So I'll kiss you longer baby_**  
**_Any chance that I get_**  
**_I'll make the most of the minutes and love with no regrets_**

**_Let's take our time_**  
**_To say what we want_**  
**_Use what we got_**  
**_Before it's all gone_**  
**_'Cause no, we're not promised tomorrow_**

Beth could see Aaron watching Eric and everybody else seemed captivated by their song, but her focus was pulled back to Daryl as she and Aaron started singing the next parts together, giving each other a small smile as they did.

**_So I'm gonna love you  
Like I'm gonna lose you  
I'm gonna hold you  
Like I'm saying goodbye wherever we're standing  
I won't take you for granted 'cause we'll never know when  
When we'll run out of time so I'm gonna love you  
Like I'm gonna lose you  
I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_**

**_I'm gonna love you  
Like I'm gonna lose you  
I'm gonna hold you  
Like I'm saying goodbye wherever we're standing  
I won't take you for granted 'cause we'll never know when  
When we'll run out of time so I'm gonna love you  
Like I'm gonna lose you  
I'm gonna love you like I'm gonna lose you_**

As her fingers stopped playing, the entire room broke out into thunderous applause. She could even see Judith clapping wildly in her Daddy's arms, Michonne and Carol both standing beside him with a big smiles on their faces. She even saw Maggie wiping away a tear from the corner where she was standing with Glenn. She couldn't help smile brightly when she saw a hand extended in front of her. A hand she would know anywhere. She took the calloused hand into hers and let him pull her toward the back door.

* * *

Like I'm Gunna Lose You - by Meghan Trainor and John Leggend.

*I ADORE this song, and knew I had to use it when I wrote Beth having the nightmare. I am a little worried about the confrontation, so I hope you all liked it. I know most of you were requesting it to happen :-)


	26. Chapter 26

_**I really have no words to express how sorry I am for the delay in getting my fics out to you. ** **I am also sorry that this one is so short, but I do hope that you like it. **_

* * *

Beth let out a laugh as Aaron twirled her around on the dance floor. As she laughed, her eyes locked onto Daryl's as he stood on the other side of the room talking to Rick. The small smile he flashed her made her smile grow wider as Aaron started twirling her around again and a squeal of delight escaped her lips.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Beth" Aaron said as he pulled her back to him, the smile on his face wide as he looked at the blonde in his arms. He had heard the story of what had happened from Daryl that day when he had come over to pick up the bike. His heart had hurt for what Beth and Daryl both had gone through, but he couldn't figure out what surprised him more, the fact that Nessa had gotten away with it for so long, or that Daryl was actually telling him about it.

"Thank you" she said as he twirled her around again. As she did, her eyes locked with Daryl's again. She could see the happiness in them as he watched her and Aaron dance. He looked content, peaceful.

"I wanted to also thank you for Daryl" she said as he pulled her back to him. He looked down at her, puzzlement across his face.

"What about Daryl?"

"Thank you for everything you did for him. You gave him a job, a purpose. You also gave him friendship, let him know that there was still good people in this world. After everything" she paused, the sadness overtaking her eyes for just a second until she looked back up at him and took a breath. "After everything that he has been through, he needed that. You are a good friend Aaron" she said sweetly as she looked up at him. He smiled back at her and leaned over, kissing her forehead.

"Sunshine, I should be thanking you, not the other way around" he said, his smile wavering just a little. "Do you know what Daryl told me a few weeks back, before he knew you were alive?" He asked her. Beth shook her head and raised an eyebrow at him. "He told me that he would have shot me on sight, put a bolt through my head, but that somebody had convinced him that there was still good people in this world. That person was you, right?" He asked a little smirk on his lips. She felt her cheeks flush as she looked over at Daryl. He was watching them curiously, probably trying to figure out what they were talking about. When his eyes locked on hers, she gave him a soft, shy smile.

"Yeah, that was me" she breathed out as she held Daryl's gaze. Aaron looked over at the archer as well, who had abandoned the conversation he was having with Rick and Carol and was just staring at Beth.

"He cares so much about you Beth. Don't ever let anybody make you believe otherwise, ok?" Aaron whispered to her. She turned her head back to look at him and gave him another smile.

"I won't, never again" she replied then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for the dance, and the talk. Thank you for everything Aaron"

* * *

Daryl watched her kiss Aaron's cheek and then start to walk over to them, her eyes never leaving his as she approached. She was his salvation. This little ball of light and beauty had saved him from himself, twice just by her strength and love. She might not know it, but she was everything to him and hopefully soon he would be able to find the words to really tell her.

"Hey" she breathed out as she reached him.

"Hey" he replied back as he reached up and placed a stray curl behind her ear.

"Do you happen to know a handsome man that would be willing to walk a girl like me home?" she asked sweetly, her eyelashes batting a little at him.

"Don't be lookin' at men like that" he growled out, a small smirk on his face. She smiled back at him and turned to look out at the room.

"Oh well I am sure I could find somebody" she teased "Maybe Spencer, he seemed really nice when we talked earlier" she felt the growl come from his chest right about the time he twirled her around.

"You aint funny Greene" he growled out as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.

"I happen to think I am very funny Mr. Dixon" she replied, feeling the rumble go through him when she called him that. "Why? Do you know somebody else that might want the job?" She continued cheekily, looking up at him with her eyes huge.

"Damn right" he growled again as he tightened the hold he had on her waist.

"Well, you are the most handsome man here. Are you saying you want the job?" she replied as she squeezed him tight. He smirked at her a little and leaned over, burying his face in her neck and hair. She sighed when she felt his lips trail soft kisses on her neck. But what caused her to shiver is when he growled low in her ear, so only she could hear "Always"!


	27. Chapter 27

**_A big thank you to all of you for sticking by me when I have failed miserably at getting my stories updated in a timely manner. This chapter is just a filler, but it's fluffy and I hope you like it._**

* * *

Beth's eyes fluttered open and she smiled softly. The party last night had been a lot of fun. More fun then she had thought it was going to be if she was honest with herself. She loved singing again and then dancing with Aaron. What he had said about Daryl, how he thanked her because Daryl had said it was because of her influence that he didn't kill the scouter on site hit her right in the heart. She knew that she and Daryl had formed a bond, and she knew that she had started to change his mind while they were together after the prison but she could not have imagined that he carried it on with him after they had been so horribly separated. Learning that about Daryl had made her heart sing but the best part had to be just being wrapped up in Daryl's arms. He always had this way of making her feel safe and strong, like she was capable of picking up the pieces of her life and putting them back together.

She softly ran her fingers across the arm that was firmly around her waist and smiled again as Daryl started to nuzzle into the back of her neck, a soft snore muffled by her hair. She remembered falling into bed last night, exhausted but happy and Daryl wrapping his arm around her, mumbling good night into her hair. She didn't know what exactly they were, what they were doing, or if it would progress farther than the kisses and the arms wrapped around each other that it was now _**(God she hoped it did though. All he had to do was look at her and a fire shot thru her, settling in her most delicate places)**_ but she wasn't going to push Daryl. She knew just him opening up the little that he had, him kissing her at all was a big step for him. So what they were now, whatever they wanted to call it, she was ok with.

She gingerly tried unwrapping herself from Daryl's grasp as nature started to call, but he just tugged her back toward him and nuzzled his face into her hair more. "Where you goin'?" he growled out, the sound muffled again by the hair he was buried in.

"I have to pee" she said with a giggle as she felt his nose run up and down the side of her neck. She giggled again when he released her and nudged her toward the door with a growl of "go on and hurry back then" She giggled softly all the way out the door.

* * *

When she got back, he was dressed and sitting at the edge of the bed, putting his boots on. She took a second and just watched him. He really was breathtaking, the hard muscle of his arms, stomach and legs. His eyes that reminded you of storm clouds, and those hands. Strong, protective hands that have killed but still touch her with nothing but gentleness. She sighed a little, wishing he had still been in bed so she could snuggle more.

"Were you going?" she asked, hoping her voice didn't have a tinge of the sadness she felt because he had gotten out of bed already.

"Gunna go huntin'! Looks like it will be a good mornin' for it" he grumbled out as he laced up his boots.

"Oh, ok" she said as she moved toward the window and looked outside. The sun was just barely starting to rise over Alexandria, but nobody was out yet. She didn't see Daryl watching her as she stood there. The way that the sunrise was hitting her thru the window made her look even more beautiful, if that was even possible. He had caught the tone of sadness in her voice when she came back to find him already dressed, and was hoping what he was going to suggest would remove it.

"Ya wanna go with me? It's been awhile since it's just been me and you out there. Ya need a few more lessons with the crossbow too" he said with a smirk, trying to hide the twinge of his own sadness, remembering why they had not been out hunting just the two of them in a while, as her head whipped around, her hair flying, looking like strands of shimmering corn stalks in the sunrise.

"Really? Ya sure you want me out there with you?" she asked, the hopeful look on her face causing his smirk to get a little brighter. God, did she know what she did to him?

"Of course. Nobody else I want out there but you. You think I let just anybody touch my bow?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he stood up and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm better with you beside me" he whispered out, his eyes looking at his boots now but his hands not moving from her shoulders. She smiled brightly at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down so she could kiss him sweetly. His arms left her shoulders and wrapped themselves around her waist as the kiss continued. When she reluctantly broke away to get some of the stupid air she needed, she smiled up at him.

"I'm better with you beside me too, Daryl" she breathed out as she leaned up and kissed his lips softly again. This time he pulled away and pinched her side, causing her to giggle.

"Alright, go get dressed. I'll be in the kitchen getting' us some supplies together" he said as he gently pushed her toward the door.

"Ok, I'm going. Just one more thing" she said sweetly as she pretended to look around the room, then her eyes landed on him and she leaned up and pecked his lips lightly. As a growl sounded from his chest, she broke away and ran toward the bathroom, grabbing her clothes off of the chair as she went.


	28. Chapter 28

_**I'm back...as you know if you read my other fic "Want Me Too" that I had to take some time off but I am thinking I am back for good now. Hope you like this chapter as much as I do :-)**_

"So they were really eating people?" Beth exclaimed in a whisper as they walked thru the woods around Alexandria. They had been out there for a little over an hour and Daryl had started telling her about what had happened in between the time they lost and found each other. She had seen a lot of things since the turn, but people eating other people still made her shiver and want to vomit.

"Yeah, ya said ya saw the signs when ya and Morgan hadta turn around. We saw 'em too. Thought it might be worth a shot. Thought it might be a good place till Rick saw the guy had Glenn's watch and then I saw one of 'em had my poncho….so it went to hell real fast and they shot at us. Eventually we realized they were not shooting to kill, they were herding us like cattle. But by then it was too late. They rounded me, Rick, Michonne and Carl up and put us in a train car. That's where we found Maggie, Glenn and the rest of 'em" Daryl said softly as he kept his eyes down, tracking the footprints of a buck that Beth had found just a few minutes earlier.

"Sanctuary for all my ass" Beth said in a whisper as she shook her head. Daryl raised his gaze at her and smirked. She really had been hanging around him too long. "So Carol saved you? How?"

"She blew up a huge gas tank and then just started shooting up the place. We were tied up and getting ready to have our throats slit when the explos…."

"What the hell you mean you were getting ready to have your throats slit?" Beth spit out, anger flashing in her eyes as she stopped dead to look at him. She had already heard most of this story before, bits and pieces from different people but this was totally new to her. Daryl's eyes caught hers for a moment and then looked back at the ground, wishing he had not said anything. She didn't need to know all of this. She had enough of her own memories to cause nightmares.

"It was no big deal" he said, knowing it was not going to be enough, but hoping it was. He didn't even get to step away before her hand was on his arm, stopping him.

"No big deal? You think about to be killed is no big deal?" She asked him, her eyes still blazing, anger now mixed with fear in them.

"It's not like we are not always about to be killed out 'ere" he grumbled out. He knew this girl….his girl….was not going anywhere until he explained what happened so he sighed and looked up at her. "They took me, Rick, Glenn and Bob out of the train car, tied us up and took us into a warehouse. They made us kneel over a troth with a few other guys from I guess a different train car. They had already killed the other guys when Gareth came in"

"Gareth was the asshole that ran the place right?" Beth asked her hand still on his arm. It grounded him, helped him tell this story. He couldn't help the smirk that formed on his lips from her cussing again.

"Yeah, that's him. He took the gag out of Rick's mouth and asked him what we had hid in the bag in the woods outside Terminus. We had hid Rick's gun, another crossbow, and a few other guns and knives we got off of the assholes I was with before I met up with Rick" he saw her raise her eyebrow and he shook his head "another story for another time" as he took her hand and started walking slowly toward the tracks again. "Rick told him what we had and that there was a red handled machete that he was going to use to kill 'em with. Asshole thought it was funny. Bet he wasn't laughing when Rick killed 'em with it" Daryl said with a smile growing on his face.

"You didn't see him do it?" Beth asked

"Naw, I was out with Carol looking for a certain blond haired girl. Can't remember her name though" he said with the smile still on his face. She smiled a little back, but her eyes got this distant, far off look to them as she turned her gaze back to the ground and started walking again.

"So Carol got you out? The explosion happened obviously before any of you could be killed" she asked, her head still down. He knew him mentioning that he was looking for her did something to her, knew it brought up so much that she still needed to talk about too and he wanted to ask her about it, but for now he would let it go and humor her with answering her questions.

"Yeah, they were just about to hit Glenn when the explosion happened. We got free and got everybody out. Met up with Carol out in the woods and she took us to where Tyrese and Judith were. Everybody was reuniting and I just stood back and watched" he said, his voice turning sad which caused her to stop and look back at him.

"Why? Weren't you happy to have everybody back?" she asked

"Not e'rybody was back. Was missin' the most important part for me" he said, just above a whisper as he raised his eyes to look into hers. They were filled with a swirling of emotions and her heart clenched at his words and his eyes.

"Oh" was the only thing she could think to say. She smiled shyly at him and rose up on her toes, kissing him softly on the lips. Before she could pull away, she felt his arms snake around her waist and pull her to him, his lips pressing into hers with an urgency. She melted into him as his arms tightened around her and his tongue gently glided across her lips, asking for entrance. As their tongues softly stroked each other, she felt his hand move up her back, tangling into her pony tail. Just as he started to move her toward a tree beside them, a twig snapped and they both froze. Instantly they broke apart and grabbed their weapons, looking for the source of the sound. After a second, the most beautiful buck Daryl had ever seen walked out into the opening beside them. Beth's breath hitched when she saw it and slowly turned to look at Daryl just as his gaze found hers. He slowly took his crossbow off of his shoulder and silently asked her a question. When she nodded, he smirked and handed her the crossbow. He watched her position it as a wave of memory took over him, remembering the last time he had seen her like this. He watched her line up her shot, take a few breaths to calm herself and then released the bolt. He held his breath as he watched it sail thru the air and hit its target. She didn't get it directly in the heart, but it was close enough to drop the deer.

"I did it Daryl" she cried happily as she jumped up and down and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him quickly.

"Yeah ya did. Ya did good Darlin'. Now let's get it back to Alexandria and we can get it butchered" he said, his own smile on his face. He was so proud of her in that moment. She just nodded at him and took off toward the deer, her smile bright and her pony tail swinging. He followed behind her, basking in her happiness and thinking that no matter what happened with either of them while they were separated, whatever they had to do to survive, it got them back to each other and there was no place he would rather be.


	29. Chapter 29

_**Sorry for the delay everybody. I'm still trying to find my right mood to start writing again. I thought I had found it and it ran from me again. I hope you all like this chapter. **_

* * *

Daryl had decided to field dress the deer, making it easier for them to carry back. As he cut, he watched Beth out of the corner of his eye as she paced around, keeping watch.

"So you wanna tell me 'bout the hospital?" He asked, not looking up from the deer. He thought it might be easier for Beth to talk about it if he kept busy while she spoke. He saw her turn to him from the corner of his eye and then keep on walking. She hadn't really wanted to talk about any of it. The group knew some of it due to the disastrous meeting with Maggie a few days ago, but that hadn't been all of it. She let out a huge sigh and started talking, figuring if she was going to tell anybody it would be Daryl.

"They made you work for repayment of letting you stay there, claiming that if you worked off your debt then you could leave. But in reality there was no working it off because everything you ate, everything you drank, the place you slept, all of that cost in their eyes. Some of the male cops there thought that the females owed them more, because they "saved us" and we should show them gratitude." She released a breath, trying to steady her hands realizing they were shaking. A white hot rage build up inside of Daryl at the thought of those cops. He tried burying it down and turned to look at her.

"You don't gotta tell me Beth. Why don't ya tell me about ya time with Morgan instead?" Daryl asked, seeing how upset Beth was starting to get. He regretted even asking her about it. He didn't want to cause her stress. She was just getting better again and who knew if just talking about this would bring on another headache. He also didn't want her to see the rage and guilt inside of him because of it.

"It's ok Daryl. I need to talk about it and I trust you completely" she said with a small smile before she began walking again. "There was a girl there, her name was Joan. She tried to escape right after I got there and she got bit in the arm. They cut her arm off and she survived, but she didn't want to live anymore. When I went to steal the elevator key from Dawn's office, I saw Joan dead on the floor. She had killed herself. Before I could do anything though, Gorman found me" Daryl saw the shiver run thru Beth and started to stand, till he saw her put her hand out to stop him. "He touched me, pushed me up against the desk, but as he tried kissing my neck, I turned my head and saw Joan start moving again, so I grabbed the first thing I could get a hold of, which was a jar of lollypops. I hit him as hard as I could over the head and it knocked him out. As soon as he fell to the floor Joan grabbed a hold and I took off. I grabbed Noah and we tried to escape. I was able to get Noah out but they got me again. I was happy though, I was able to save Noah" she said as she raised her eyes to meet Daryl's. A smile was back on her lips even with the tears that were in her eyes. Daryl stood, wiping the blood off of his hands with his rag and walked over to her. He watched her as he walked toward her, she was shining in the sun seeping thru the trees, making her look more like a goddess than a warrior, but there was no denying that this beautiful creature was a warrior. She had been thru more than most and still came out on the other end a better person.

"You did real good Beth, real good. You defended yerself, you took care of Noah and got him out of 'ere and you also took down a scumbag. He didn't deserve to breath and I can tell ya right now that if he were still alive, I'd be on my bike back to Atlanta to kill 'em myself. I shoulda kept ya safe" he said with conviction as he cupped her face in his hands. She smiled and placed her hand on his wrist and leaned into his touch.

"You did! You kept me alive in there ya know. I kept hearing you tell me to follow the signs, to pay attention to every detail. There were some very shady people in there, but I knew how to read them because of you. It came in handy as well while Morgan and I were on our way here. All of the skills you taught me did" she said as her smile grew bigger. "It was because of you that I survived Mr. Dixon"

Daryl couldn't help his lips forming into a slight smirk at her as he leaned down and softly kissed her lips. As he pulled away, he smiled slightly at her blushed cheeks and grabbed her hand. "Well come on my little badass. Let's get this deer back home"

* * *

As they walked, Beth told him about some of the little adventures that she and Morgan had while on the road, a few things making Daryl actually laugh out loud. As they walked, Daryl saw something gleam in the light up ahead and took Beth's hand, slowing them down so they can creep up on whatever it was. When they came to the clearing, they were both shocked and sickened to see a woman stuck to a tree, her stomach cut open and her intestines spilling out of her.

"Who would do this Daryl?" Beth asked just above a whisper as they moved around the clearing and slowly made their way up to the dead woman. "What is that on her forehead?"

Daryl gently moved her hair out of her face and stared for a moment. "It's a W" he growled out, starting to wonder what the hell he had led him and Beth into when they both heard a twig snap, causing them both to pull their weapons and face them toward the sound.

"Come out" Daryl growled just as a form started to come out of the woods….


	30. Chapter 30

Daryl saw Beth lowering her weapon even before he processed who was coming out of the woods. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the man holding the long staff in his hand.

"Morgan! What are you doing out here?" Beth said with a smile as she ran over to him and hugged him tight.

"I went out last night, just coming back. What happened here Sunshine?" he asked as he looked around, his eyes falling onto the poor woman tied to the tree.

"We don't know. Came across it ourselves. Whoever did it left 'err like that" Daryl said as he pointed toward the woman.

"I had a run in with a few of those guys, ya know with the W on their heads while I was out. They tried sneaking up on me. Killed one, but the other one got away. He called themselves 'Wolves' "he explained as he walked over and lifted the girls head up, taking a look at the W carved into her forehead. "He told me he wanted all of my stuff, everything I had"

"Are you ok?" Beth asked, walking back over to him, her eyes searching his exposed skin for marks. He smiled gently at her and cupped her face in his hand.

"I'm fine Sunshine. They didn't get any good hits in." he said then turned to Daryl "I'm not sure how big their group is, but they seemed to know about Alexandria, they asked if I was from there" Daryl could read the worry in the older man's face and nodded.

"Well let's get this deer back home an' fill Rick in on we found. We might want to round up more watch details. Bastards that do stuff like this won't give up" Daryl growled out as he looked around the scene again, his eyes landing on Beth's. She nodded in agreement with him and moved beside him as Morgan started moving ahead. Daryl picked up the bag that he had placed the meat in and started moving as well, slowly slipping his hand into hers, their fingers intertwined. He cast a quick glance down at her and saw that she had a small smile on her lips as she walked.

"Ya know what I did discover at the hospital" Beth said softly after a few minutes of walking. Daryl looked down at her and raised an eyebrow, silently asking her to continue. "I found out that there was something even more disgusting to eat that mud snake" she said with a small giggle. Daryl's lips curved up into a smirk, remembering their mud snake exchange and then he looked back down at her.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" he asked, softly bumping into her side.

"Guinea pig" she said with a disgusted look on her face.

"They actually fed you guinea pig?" Daryl said, a shiver running down his body at the thought.

"Yeah, it was disgusting. But I kept telling myself that you would eat it, that I had to do whatever I had to do to keep my strength up and survive. Like you taught me. But trust me, I never want to eat it again" she said as she squeezed his hand tightly.

"Don't worry, ya won't as long as I'm around. I'll get ya real food, like rabbit, possum, deer and snake" he said, the last part with a smirk. She giggled again and brought his hand up to her mouth, softly kissing it, causing the back of his neck to tinge red when he saw Morgan watching them from the corner of his eyes, his own smile on his face.

* * *

"So you said he called themselves 'Wolves'? " Rick asked as he sat down in the chair across from Morgan. Beth and Daryl sat in on the couch across from them both, Beth resting her head on Daryl's shoulder.

"Yeah. He said that he wanted to take everything I had since I was not going to need it after he killed me. He just walked right up into the camp I had set up. I heard the guy coming up behind me and killed him, but the guy I was talking too ran off before I could get him. He had asked me if I came from the place with the high walls, then called it by name. They know we are here Rick" Morgan finished, his face stone.

"What they did to that poor girl was horrible Rick! They tied her to a tree and gutted her, while she was still alive." Beth said, a shiver running thru her remembering the sight of the girl.

"Damn" Rick growled out "We'll put more patrols up, at least two at every post now" he continued, turning to Daryl. "Maybe we should send a group out there, take a look around?"

"Yeah, I can organize that. If they are watching, I should make it seem like a normal scouting mission, so maybe me and Aaron go" Daryl stated, feeling Beth tense up beside him instantly.

"I'm going to go with you, I know what he looks like and can also back you up" Morgan said, his eyes flashing to Beth before looking back at him.

"Ok, sounds good" Rick agreed, giving a quick glance at the blond who had been pretty quiet the last few moments before moving them back to Daryl, who nodded in agreement.

"Ya ready to head back to the house?" Daryl asked Beth, who nodded and raised her head up from his shoulder. He pulled her up as he stood up and gripped her hand, which she squeezed tightly in return as they watched Rick and Morgan leave the room.

* * *

"I know you have to do this. I know you are the best at tracking. It just scares me when I can't see you, or find you right away. It's getting better though" she said after a few moments of them walking toward the house. He paused and turned to face her, his other hand grabbing her free one.

"I feel the same way girl! I can't stand to not have ya beside me. There is nobody else I would want protecting me out there besides you, and if you were 100% I would have ya there. Ya know that right?" He asked, his forehead leaning against hers. She smiled softly and leaned up, kissing his lips gently.


	31. Chapter 31

_"So Beth, she was Maggie's sister right?" Aaron asked a few days after Daryl had opened up to him about Beth. _

_"Yeah" Daryl mumbled out, not taking his eyes off of the motor in his lap. _

_"What was she like?" Aaron tried getting him to continue. Daryl sighed and looked out toward the street, not really focusing on anything._

_"She was strong" _

* * *

"What the hell just happened? You always fuck up everything Dixon" Daryl growled to himself as he stormed into the front door of the house, slamming it shut behind him, causing Rick to jump up off of the couch.

"What's wrong?" Rick asks, his eyes relaxing as he sees that it's just Daryl.

"Nothin'" Daryl growls as he stalks toward the kitchen. Rick raises as eyebrow at him as he watches him go. Not even an hour beforehand he watched Beth and Daryl leave the house to go to Aaron's for dinner. Now Daryl is back, by himself and angry.

"Where's Beth? Somethin' happen?" He asks as he leans against the doorframe of the kitchen. He watches as Daryl freezes at the mention of Beth and then lets out a huge sigh.

"I don't know what the hell happened, but I fucked up" Daryl states, his voice low and angry.

"It' can't be that bad Brother" Rick says with a small smile as he sits on one of the stools around the kitchen island.

"Oh it is" Daryl growls as he sits down across from Rick and puts his head in his hands.

"Well start talking" Rick replies with a chuckle

"Everything was goin' fine until Aaron….." Daryl growls low as he starts to explain to Rick how he fucked everything up, again…

* * *

_"So Beth, what do you plan on doing once you are totally better?" Aaron asks as he hands her a glass of tea. Beth smiles back at him and takes a sip, glancing at Daryl before she replies._

_"I want to go out with you and Daryl! I want to be a recruiter" she says with a huge smile. Aaron smiles back at her and opens his mouth to reply when they hear….._

_"Hell no, not happenin'" Daryl growls out, his eyes hard on her. _

_"Excuse me? What do you mean hell no?" Beth asks, her voice still even but her eyes showing her anger and hurt._

_"You aint goin' out there. Your gunna stay in here where it's safe" Daryl stated, matter of factly. Beth started to bristle. Who exactly did he think he was telling her what she was doing? He had just told her a few hours ago that she was the only one he wanted protecting her. She felt tears stinging her eyes as she looked back up at him, his eyes softening just for a moment when he sees her tears. _

_"Did you lie to me just a few hours ago then?" she questions, not being able to hide the hurt in her voice. When Daryl doesn't answer she continues. "Did you lie to me when you told me that I was strong? Was it a lie when you said that there was nobody else you wanted protecting you but me and if I was 100% that you would have me by your side? Was all of that a lie just to make me feel better with you leaving tomorrow?" _

_"It's not that Beth" he starts _

_"Well then what is it like then Daryl? From where I am standing it seems that you think I'm weak and you lied to me about it. I think that might be the first time you have ever lied to me" she states, her voice just above a whisper. She stands there for a few moments, her eyes locked onto his then sighs as she turns and storms out of the house. _

* * *

"Well why did you say she couldn't go? You know you think she is strong and there isn't anybody else you want beside you, so why did you say it?" Rick asks after a few moments of silence.

"I got scared. I just keep seeing flashes, the car taking her, her lying on the hospital floor, all that blood, carrying her out of the hospital, you carrying her from the doc's office 'ere. Damn Rick, I know she's tough. She is a hell of a lot tougher than she looks and people give her credit for. I fucked up. Of course I want 'er beside me" he growled out as he banged his fist against the table.

"Well, you want some advice from a man who has had no real luck in the female department?" Rick asked, a small smirk barely gracing his lips

"Can't be no worse than what I would do" Daryl replied, a small smirk on his lips as well.

"Ya talk to her. Tell her everything you just told me. Lori always said I didn't talk enough, maybe that's what led to all of our issues" Rick started. It took everything Daryl had inside him not to snort and tell him that their issues was because Lori was a two-timing bitch, but he had already upset the most important person in his life tonight, he wasn't going to do the same thing to the second most important one.

"What if she doesn't wanna talk?" Daryl asked

"She will, she loves you. That is obvious"

* * *

**Next chapter will be Beth's side...where she went after she took off and what happens between that time and she makes it back to the house. Also, things might just be progressing a little bit farther in their relationship in the next few chapters, so for everybody that has continued to read and review this story...thank you so much!**


	32. Chapter 32

_**I know I apologize with every chapter but I am really sorry for the delay. I had family visiting and was on vacation. Thank you to everybody that has reviewed and to the people requesting the new chapter. I hope it lives up to your expectations! ** _

* * *

"Who in the heck does he think he is?" Beth fumed as she stormed down the sidewalk. She really had no clue where she was going, but she knew she just had to get away from him. How dare he tell her that she couldn't do something? He had no right! He didn't run this place, so she really didn't need his permission. She would just start her own recruitment team and go with them. She didn't need Daryl Dixon! 'Yeah right, Beth! Even if you could get that past Deanna, Rick would never let you go out there with a different team. They all think you are weak. The one person you thought had your back, thought you were tough just confirmed he didn't think so either…so why would anybody else' she told herself as she stomped down the sidewalk. There was that little nagging voice in the back of her head that told her she was over-reacting. That she knew Daryl believed in her and supported her and that he must have freaked out for a reason, but she decided to ignore that voice. She was too angry, too upset and she just wanted to wallow in it for a while.

She hadn't been sure of where she was going, but she was not surprised when she ended up in front of the infirmary. She didn't really have that many people in town that she spoke with. She couldn't go to Maggie, and she thought if she went to Michonne or Carol, they would just back Daryl up. She ended up in front of the one place her only other female friend should be….one that would have her back…..Rosita!

"Rosita! Are you here?" Beth called out as she entered the infirmary. "You are not going to believe what just happen….." she started but was cut off when she walked into the room and instead of finding Rosita, she found Tara lying in bed.

"Oh I'm sorry. I thought Rosita would be in here. How are you doing?" Beth quickly apologized, not meaning to disturb the girl when she was still healing.

"Oh it's fine and I'm doing great! Only a few more days and they are letting me go! Rosita ran out, should be back soon" Tara replied, a smile on her face "So what just happened?"

"What?" Beth asked, being snapped back from her thoughts of Daryl to the girl in front of her.

"You came in looking for Rosita, telling her that she wouldn't believe what just happened and no offense, but you look like you are about ready to go a couple rounds with Ali, so what's up?" Tara asked, her eyebrow raised. Beth looked at her, she was still not 100 percent sure about her, but everybody else seemed to like her, Maggie adored her. The "another sister" comment ringing in her head. Looking at Beth's face change Tara quickly added "You don't have too if you don't want. I just thought you might want to vent….Rosita should be back soon"

"Oh no, it's ok. It will be good to get a second opinion on this" She said with a small smile and then went into the explanation of what happened between her and Daryl at Aaron and Eric's house. The entire time Tara never spoke, she just nodded at the appropriate times and let her speak. When she was done, Beth looked up at her and saw that Tara was thinking.

"So am I right? He has no right to tell me what I can or can't do….right?" She asked, her voice cracking just a little.

"Well, yes, you are right in the fact that he doesn't have a right to tell you what to do" Tara started

"But?" Beth replied, knowing just by the sound of her voice she had a but to add

"But, you have to see it from his point of view. When I first met Daryl, we were all locked in a train car in this place called Terminus" she started, Beth nodding her acknowledgement of knowing about the place. "I remember when he told Maggie about you being alive, about what had happened. He looked so broken, so lost. You could just see the pain in him. And then when you were…shot….when he carried you out of that hospital. You were limp in his arms, blood all over. He was crying, and not just crying I mean real, gut wrenching sobs. It was hard to watch, not just because you were…ya know dead….but because here was this man, this man that gives off this vibe of strength and stubbornness, helpless and crying. Then he just collapsed, falling to his knees with you in his arms, Maggie sobbing beside him, it was just too much. And then after, when he had to leave you in that trunk. I have never, and I mean never, seen a man fight that hard for something. He refused to leave you, I'm not sure if you knew that" she said as Beth nodded her head.

"Yeah, I heard that Abe and Tyrese had to pull him away" Beth said softly, trying to take in everything that Tara had said already. She had already heard some of it before, but it was different hearing it from Tara for some reason.

"Yeah, Abe came out of that with a black eye and Tyrese a busted lip. He fought like a caged bear. And after, it was like a complete 180', he was just so quiet. I know Rick and Carol both tried to get him to come out of it, but he just wouldn't. Maggie was upset too, cried for days, but it was just different for Daryl. He didn't cry again, at least in front of all of us. But he was just quiet….even more quiet than normal. He was just broken. I didn't even see him smile again until that day you showed up. He loves you Beth. He watched you die and then by some miracle be brought back to him. I can see why he flipped out when you suggested it. Doesn't mean that he doesn't think your tough, or can't handle yourself. He is just scared of losing you again." Tara said, smiling at Beth and taking her hand. Beth smiled back and squeezed it softly.

"Thank you Tara! I did over-react and really didn't give him a chance to explain when he wanted too. I just got so angry. My whole life I was treated like some kinda doll, all weak and fragile. But that's not who I am anymore. Not since Daryl" she said, a smile forming on her lips again at the memories of her first few days with the angry archer.

"Nobody could look at you now, know your story and think of you as weak or fragile." Tara replied

"Even Maggie?" Beth replied, a little smirk on her face

"Well your sister is different. I know things are strained between you two and I don't blame you for that either. I don't know how I would have handled it if I was in your situation. I was the youngest too. But can I give you a little piece of advice on that as well?" Tara asked

"Sure" Beth replied. It couldn't hurt to get her opinion on this as well. She helped with her thoughts of Daryl.

"Time is short. I saw my older sister die in front of me and I had so much I had wanted to say to her. The way the world is now, time is not on our side and grudges just get in the way. You don't necessarily need to make up with her, but holding onto that anger isn't healthy" she said and then smiled "And so ends your session. Please pay my receptionist at the front" she added with a giggle.

Beth giggled back and stood up, taking the girls hand back into hers. "Thank you so much Tara! I really do appreciate your help with this. It was really nice talking to you"

"I liked talking to you too Beth. I would like us to be cool if you want" Tara asked

"I would like that too. It would be nice to have another friend" Beth replied

"Awesome!" Tara stated and then her smile faded a little. Beth was about to question what was wrong when Tara started talking again "If we are going to be friends, there is something that I think you should know"

Beth saw how Tara's face changed and sucked in a breath. She knew whatever the dark haired woman was about to tell her was going to be bad.

"Um, well the way that I met Glenn is that I was with the Govenour when he came to the prison" when she saw Beth's eyes widen at the realization of what she said, she continued "He lied to all of us. Told us that you all were evil and had killed people he loved. I just wanted to protect my sister and my niece. But I knew something was fishy when we got there. He had told us that we were just going to use….use your Dad….and Michone. He never told us that we were going to kill anybody. I should have known though." She watched as Beth's face changed as she stood up out of the chair. "I swear I never fired one shot or hurt anybody on your side. I knew I had to tell you if we were ever going to have a real friendship. When I told Maggie….." she stopped when Beth spun her head around

"Maggie knew? Maggie knew and still thinks of you as her 'sister'"? Beth said, the anger seeping out of her voice toward the woman now crying in the bed.

"She said that it didn't matter now. Glenn knew of course, and Rick knew because he saw me that day. Rosita, Abe and Eugene know but I don't think anybody else knows. I'm so sorry Beth. So very sorry. If I had known what he was going to do….I don't know….maybe I could have stopped him somehow" she cried, the tears streaming down her face.

"No, you just thought it would be ok to come and try to take a place from people that had worked hard to get it….even if nobody got hurt you thought that was ok? Why? Because you all wanted to be safe but didn't want to work for it. I'm going to need some time with this" she said as she turned and started toward the door. "Thanks for the advice about Daryl and Maggie" she added softly as she grabbed the door handle and stormed out. As she got outside, she took in a deep breath. The night's events running through her head. Tara had been right in what she had told her about Daryl and about Maggie but she was having trouble wrapping her head around the fact that she helped the Governor kill her father. Yes, maybe she didn't know what would happen, that he was that crazy. She might have got caught up in it, but she still came to the prison that day with the intention of taking something that was hers and she didn't know how that sat with her.

"Oh well look….if it isn't the Princess….you sick again Princess? Is that why you look like hell? You keep looking like that and that sexy man you are with will get tired and come back to me" she heard a snide voice say from beside her and instantly closed her eyes. She really didn't need this right now.

"Nessa, leave me the hell alone" Beth ground out, her teeth clenched and her hands balled into fists. If the chick was observant she would notice that this was not the time to mess with the feisty blond, but no such luck.

"Naw, nobody is around to protect you now. Try to scare me into leaving you and your precious boyfriend alone. Personally I don't know why he even bothers with you. He needs a real woman! He's so brave and strong and sexy and you're so weak and…"

The rest of her sentence Beth will never know as she raise her fist and let it fly, finding its target right into Nessa's nose.

"Now let me set a few things straight with you Nessa" she growled out as she leaned over the woman's body as she cradled her most likely broken nose. "From now on you don't look at me, Daryl or anybody else that I love or the people trying to scare you will be the least of your problems. I'm nowhere near as weak as I look and I am more woman than you will ever dream of being!" she sneered as she stood back up and stomped down the street. Punching that bitch made her feel loads better and now she needed to find a certain redneck to work out their issues.


	33. Chapter 33

_**I hope you like this chapter. I didn't want to rush this one, but it's been a long time coming :-) ** _

* * *

"Ok Beth, you can do this. It's Daryl, you know he cares about you. You can apologize and work this out" Beth whispered to herself as she walked up the stairs to the house. Taking a deep breath she opened the door. "Hey Rick! Hey Carol" Beth greeted as she let out the breath and walked into the house. "Have either of you seen Daryl?"

"He's upstairs, Beth" Rick replied with a smile as he continued to feed Judith at the table, silently thanking whatever God was up there that Beth came back and was asking for Daryl. Beth smiled back, rubbed the top of Judith's head and started for the stairs turning at the last minute to add "I just left Nessa on the sidewalk in front of the infirmary. Somebody might want to go check on her, her nose might be broke" then turned back around and headed up the stairs. Rick and Carol looked at each other, a smirk growing on Carol's face.

"Guess one of us should go check on the poor, poor girl. She seems to not be able to hear all too well and now has a broken nose. Wonder if she needs any help with that" Carol said with a laugh.

"She picked the wrong night to pick a fight with Beth." Rick replied back with a laugh of his own, but Carol could not miss the steel glint in his eyes.

"I'll take care of it, you spend time with your little girl" Carol said with a smile as she stood up and walked out of the house. She wasn't really sure what she was going to do about this woman, but she obviously didn't take her, Rick or Daryl's warning to heart. Maybe she would start paying attention now that Beth hit her, but she doubted it. Some people were just too stupid to know what was good for them. Seems like it was time to have another little chat with this Nessa girl.

* * *

Beth took another deep breath and slowly opened their bedroom door. She froze as soon as she saw Daryl, sitting on the edge of the bed with his head bowed and his hands in his lap. He looked up as soon as she opened the door and she could see the remorse and sadness in his eyes. She shut and locked the door and turned back toward him.

"Beth. I'm so sorry" Daryl started as he stood from the bed. Beth just rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt him sigh and she let out one of her own as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him. "I know yer strong, Beth. Yer the strongest person I know. I'm sorry that I…" he didn't get a chance to finish as Beth tilted her head up and kissed his lips.

"It's ok, Daryl" she said, placing her fingers on his lips when he went to interrupt her. "Yes, it is. I got angry and I over-reacted. I should have let you explain. I know you don't think I'm weak" She said with a soft smile as she took his hands in hers and led him to sit on the edge of the bed. She went to sit beside him and he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her in another strong hold, like he thought she was going to run away again.

"I had a nice little chat with Tara." She said as she laid her head against his chest, hearing his heart beat.

"Is that right? What did she say?" he asked as he tightened his hold on her just a little bit more, happy that she was back in his arms.

"Just a little insight. I need you to talk to me Daryl. Please explain to me why you don't want me out there with you?" She said softly, silently praying that he would not close off. She felt him take a deep breath before he started talking.

"I do want ya out there with me. I freaked when you said somethin' bout it at Aaron's and I shouldn't have" she could feel him start to lose his nerve to keep talking and she squeezed him tightly, letting him know silently that she was not going anywhere and to urge him on. "I started seeing images of the car that took you, you being shot, holding you in my arms and leaving you in that truck" his voice breaking over the last words. She moved her head off of his chest and placed her hands on each cheek, moving his face so she could look directly into his beautiful, blue eyes.

"I understand, Daryl. I cannot even start to understand what you went thru with all of that. You are the strongest, bravest man I have ever known. If the roles were reversed, I don't think I could have done it. I could not have gone on without you, even back then when we were unsure of what we were to each other. And now…." She said as she gently caressed his cheek with her thumb.

"And now" he growled out just above a whisper as his hands started gently rubbing the skin on her back where her shirt had ridden up.

"And now, I know how much I love you" she said softly, looking at him with eyes filled with love and hope and a slight bit of hesitation.

"I love you too" he whispered out as he put one hand behind her head and guided her lips to his. Their kiss was slow at first, but quickly turned passionate. Beth turned in his lap to where she was straddling him and moved her hands from his face to around his shoulders, gently pulling the hair at the nape of his neck. She felt his hands move up and down her back under her shirt and let out a moan when he moved them down to caress her bottom before moving back up. Feeling the fire start to burn, she started to move her hips against him, feeling his hardness thru both of their jeans. When she grinded herself on him again, he let out a growl from deep in his chest and grabbed her ass, directing her to grind on him more.

They broke the kiss just long enough for Daryl to pull Beth's shirt off of her, instantly pressing his lips back to hers in another fiery kiss as he unhooked her bra and gently pulled the straps down her shoulders. He broke the kiss again to look at her. A blush growing on her cheeks as she moved her hands to cover her breasts. Daryl shook his head and took her hands gently in his and moved them off of her breasts, instantly replacing them with his own hands.

"You are so beautiful, Beth. Most beautiful girl I have ever seen" his gravelly voice said as he gently massaged her breasts, feeling the nipple pebble under his actions. Beth let out a low moan as she grinded her hips more and arched her back. He grinned at her, which Beth found to be so sexy and he lowered his head, taking her hardened nipple into his mouth.

"Oh damn Daryl" Beth moaned as he sucked, nipped and licked both of her nipples, going from one to the other. She had never felt anything better than Daryl's mouth on her.

"You taste like honey" he growled out as he pulled away from her. She saw the desire in his eyes and pulled his shirt over his head then kissing him again. This kiss was demanding, powerful and she felt it all the way to her toes. She started trailing kisses down his jaw, to his neck. She sucked on his pulse point, causing him to moan out her name. When she bit down on his collar bone gently and licked the pain away, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and flipped them over, so her back was on the bed. She looked up at him, the desire and want clear.

He kissed down her chest, licking a circle around her belly button causing her to giggle. When his hands got to her jeans, he looked up, silently asking for permission. She nodded her head and he unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down, taking her underwear with them. When he looked back up, his breath hitched. Laying in front of him was a goddess. Her golden hair was all over the bed, like a halo around her head. Her breasts, her stomach, her toned legs and that small patch of golden curls between her legs, everything about her was beautiful. She was so much more than what he deserved, but he was never going to be stupid enough to let her go.

He started to move back to the bed and she stopped him, moving up onto her knees and crawling toward him, taking his jeans in her hands, never taking her eyes off of him as she unbuttoned them and lowered them to the floor. When they hit the floor, she could not help but look down. She knew that Daryl sometimes went commando, and this was one of those times and for that she was grateful as the sight that met her stopped her heart. Daryl was solid and strong in every aspect and she now had 100% confirmation that every part of him was well built. His hardened cock stood out in front of him, proud and thick. He was certainly bigger than anybody else she had ever seen, but of course he was, they were boys, he was all man. She gently wrapped her hand around his member as she looked up at him as his eyes closed under her caress. She moved and licked up his base, causing his eyes to fly open as she lowered her mouth over his cock. As she sucked, he fought with all his might to not thrust into her mouth. After a few moments, he already felt himself building up to release, so he pulled her off of him.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked, her eyes growing concerned. He moved over her, causing her to lay back on the bed and he crawled over her, kissing her lips softly.

"Hell no Darlin'. Nothin' wrong. If you kept that up I wouldn't last and I want inside ya" he growled out as he moved his cock against her thigh. He moved his hand down to her clit, moving his thumb in circles as he stuck one finger inside her opening, causing her to gasp out in pleasure.

"More" she breathed out. He smiled and placed another finger inside her as he slowly kissed down her stomach.

"Oh God Daryl" he cried out as he placed his lips on her clit and sucked as he pumped his fingers inside of her. It didn't take long until her orgasm overtook her and she cried out. He kept gently licking her as she trembled till Beth started pulling on his hair to get him to stop. He smirked as he moved back up her and kissed her, letting Beth taste herself on his tongue.

"You taste like honey everywhere" he growled out as he kissed her again and lined himself up with her.

"I love you, Darlin" he whispered gravelly

"I love you too, Daryl" she whispered back and then he pushed himself inside of her. She had never felt so full before, so complete. Like she finally found the missing piece of her puzzle.

"Yer so tight" he growled as he started to slowly thrust in and out of her, causing her to moan.

"You feel so good" she breathed out as he moved inside of her, moaning again as he leaned over and took a nipple in his mouth. He could feel his release already coming. He had never felt anything like her tight, wet heat.

"Harder Daryl" she breathed, then let out a cry as he pounded into her with abandon, both of them chasing their releases. He felt her tighten around him as she cried out his name. He pulled out just in time to release himself over her stomach, then collapsing beside her as they both gasped for breath.

"Oh my god, Daryl! That was….." She gasped

"Fucking incredible" he breathed out as he leaned over and kissed her softly. Then he got off of the bed and grabbed the towel he left in the room that morning and gently cleaned off her stomach.

"Were gunna have to get some condoms" he said as he laid back down beside her, wrapping his arm around her as she curled into his embrace.

"Pretty sure of yourself that your gunna get a repeat huh" she said with a giggle.

"Hell yeah" he said as he kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, Daryl" Beth breathed out as sleep started to overtake her.

"Love you too Darlin, more than ya know" he breathed back as he pulled her closer and closed his eyes.


	34. Chapter 34

_**Yes, I know I said I was focusing on Want Me Too for the moment but I had a little inspiration on this one and wanted to update. Hope you like it! ** _

* * *

Beth had fallen asleep quickly after shutting her eyes, but Daryl could not seem to turn his head off. He kept looking down at the beautiful creature curled up beside him, sleeping soundly, trying to figure out how he got to where he was now. He knew he didn't deserve somebody as wonderful, caring and strong as Beth. But as he gently stroked her hair, he knew that he was also selfish enough to never let her go. Just a few years back he had been running the roads with Merle, getting into as many things as they could. Then the world went to shit and they found Shane and the group. He was glad now that he and Merle didn't get to rob them like they had originally planned. He might have lost Merle in the process of everything in the past few years, and nobody could ever replace his brother, but he gained another brother in Rick, a sister in Carol, a family in everybody in their group and most of all love in the pretty blond that was securely tucked beside him.

"How did we end up here pretty girl?" he said softly as he ran his fingers down her arm.

"I must have done something good in a past life" he heard her say, just above a whisper. He looked down and softly smiled at her sleepy blue eyes.

"I'm sorry Darlin', did I wake ya?" He asked as he kissed the top of her head.

"No ya didn't. I was just resting my eyes" she said as she kissed his bare chest. He snorted a little, knowing that she had been asleep, but didn't disagree with her as she started moving her fingers across his chest. "What are ya thinking about?" She asked as she snuggled closer to him.

"Just wonderin' how I got so lucky is all." He said gruffly as he tightened his arm around her.

"I'm the lucky one" she said softly as she continued to run her fingers lightly over him.

"Please Darlin'!" he snorted "I'm just a redneck asshole, I told ya that before. I don't deserve a peach like you"

"Peach huh?" She said with a slight giggle, causing him to chuckle too

"Yeah, like Georgia peach. That's what ya are. All sweet and soft" he said, a slight husk coming into his voice as he stroked her arm again.

"Mmm….I like that" she said softly as he moved his hand to her back, gently running his fingers up and down. He got lost for a few moments in the feel of her, her soft curves curled up beside him, her soft skin under his fingertips. He was so lost in thought he flinched when she smacked him on the chest.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He asked, rubbing his chest.

"For saying you didn't deserve me! If there is anybody in this world right now that deserves to be happy, it's you Daryl Dixon. You have been the rock of this group for as long as I remember. You kept us fed, and alive for month during the winter between the farm and the prison. Who was the first to volunteer to go get the meds when that flu hit the prison? Who was the one to go looking for Sophia? Who was the one who tried to take on that entire group of guys that wanted to kill Rick and hurt Carl? Who was the one that never gave up on trying to find me?" She said, her eyes bright and determined now as she sat up, pulling the sheet with her to cover up her breasts.

"I mighta done all those things Darlin, but I've also done a lotta bad too" he said, his hand moving to put a piece of blond hair behind her ear. She took his hand gently into one of hers and kissed his palm.

"This hand Daryl, yes, it might have done a lot of bad at one time, but it has done a lot more good. It's the hand of a brave, loyal, kind, generous, strong, protective, gorgeous man, that even if we were not together, I would still be honored to call my friend. But I'm just extra lucky since you say you love me" she said, a little smirk falling on her lips. He let out a growl and pulled her toward him, laying her across his chest, the sheet falling beside them.

"I do love ya girl! More than I ever thought was possible" he said as he put his hand behind her head and met her lips with his in a passionate kiss.

"I love you too. Don't ever doubt that or that you deserve it, because you do" she said breathlessly as she kissed him again. As they kissed, their hands began to roam and pretty soon they were begging each other for more, while professing their love over and over again.

***********8888888***************

"Oh Nessa, nice to see you again. Looks like you missed a spot" Carol said as she watched Nessa try to clean up her nose in the mirror in the infirmary. Nessa jumped and spun around, looking at Carol with wide eyes. 'Good, looks like she might be starting to get this now' Carol thought as a smile spread across her face.

"What do you want Carol?" Nessa asked as she looked around the room. Tara had just been there a few moments ago, but it looked like now she was all alone with Carol. She started to get a sick feeling in her stomach.

"Oh, I just thought I should pay you a visit. It seems like you didn't heed mine, Rick or Daryl's warnings about messing with Beth." She said with a sneer as she moved closer to the girl, her knife out.

"I did, I didn't mess with Beth" Nessa stammered out quickly, causing Carol to laugh

"Really? So who broke your nose?" She asked with a knowing smile

"Well, um, that's not what it looks like?" She continued to stammer

"Oh really, because it looks like to me that you caught Beth at a really bad time, said some rude things to her and she had enough and knocked you out cold. So let me put this to you one more time. You mess with Beth or Daryl, you go near them, you look at either of them wrong, you breathe on them wrong, I will kill you! This is your last warning, the next time you will not see it coming, am I clear?" She asked, her voice hard.

"Yes" Nessa said, tears streaming down her face.

"Good, now get the hell out of my face" Carol growled as Nessa took off around her and out of the infirmary. After a few seconds she heard laughter coming from the other room, and smiled as Tara came out, clapping as she walked.

"Way ta go Carol! You scared that horrible bitch! Will you actually kill her though?" Tara asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you think?" Carol asked as she turned and walked out of the building, both she and Tara knowing that she would do anything to protect her family, even if it meant killing.


End file.
